John "Buddy" Wesley Raines

Born July 29, 1932, he possessed a strong work ethic developed from the hardships he experienced during the Great Depression. An example is his recollection that in one of his childhood homes, he could look through the cracks between the planks of the wooden floor and watch the chickens try to scratch up something to eat. Or the times he was so hungry that while on his way to school, he would eat the cold biscuit that was intended for lunch. He possessed a keen awareness of the less fortunate. - like the starving children in China that would love to eat the food we wanted to leave on our plate, or just how precious the meat we attempted to leave uneaten on the bone was to the chicken.

He was preceded in death by parents Allen C. and Lottie Raines, siblings Jo Ruth Sparks, Frances Chaffin, Allen Raines, and Charles Emerson, a cousin who was like a brother to him. He enjoyed lifelong friendships. He was an entrepreneur, beginning with Buddy’s Bait Shop where he sold worms collected from the banks of Fouche Creek. Buddy graduated from State Teachers College (UCA). He enlisted in the pilots’ program in the U.S. Navy. It was in a parachute exercise that he suffered a back injury that required his hospitalization at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, where he spent a year in recovery.

He returned home and opened an insurance Agency with State Farm that he continued until his death. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas Law School, Little Rock Division. His downtown Little Rock, 7th street office was his headquarters for 67 Years. He was the person people turned to solve their problems. He always provided assistance to those who asked.

He was appointed by then Governor Bill Clinton to serve as the Perry County Municipal Court Judge He was a member of the Arkansas Municipal Judges Council, a 50+ year member of the Arkansas Bar Association, and a 32nd Degree Mason. He kept his finger on the pulse of Arkansas politics. The men he joined for the lunch gatherings at the round table at the Little Rock Club served as an incubator for the ways and means to help Arkansas.

He married Ruby F. “Pete” Thompson (deceased), his grade school sweetheart, and together they raised three daughters. Pete was tragically killed in 1995. He is survived by his daughter, Laura Raines Mitchell, her children Joshua Atchley (Denise Santos), of Los Angeles, CA., and Britton Atchley and her daughter Riley Kistner, of Worcester, MA; and his daughter Judge Jodi Raines Dennis (Mike Dennis) of Pine Bluff, AR and their daughter, Emelia Dennis of Little Rock, AR. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Tammy Raines Dean who is survived by Joey W. Dean of Hot Springs, AR, and her children, Dr. Joey R. Dean (Abbey) of Little Rock, AR and Caleb Dean, of Little Rock, AR.

Buddy enjoyed spending time outdoors whether he was working in his vegetable garden, tending his cattle, or hunting. His property on the White River at Crocketts Bluff was his favorite retreat. He and Pete spent countless hours fishing the river and its creeks. Over the years he expanded his Crocketts Bluff footprint to accommodate his extended family and friends hosting duck hunting adventures. It was dubbed the “Pork Chop Hunting Club” based on Buddy commenting that his White River property was like the adage his mother used to say about difficult children - their mother had to tie a pork chop around the child’s neck to get the dog to play with him.

Everyone enjoyed swapping tales while sitting in his shop around his pot belly stove where he roasted peanuts to perfection. With his detailed memory of his life from an early age, there was no shortage of history to share.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Pinecrest Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Bryant, AR. Graveside service will be held on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Pinecrest Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Bryant, AR. The family requests that memorials be made to the donor’s favorite charitable organization.