Bladenboro Mayor David Hales died Wednesday.
First elected to the town board in 1984, Hales was in his second term as mayor.
A native of the town, Hales was a longtime local businessman and indefatigable promotor of Bladenboro. He spearheaded efforts to revitalize downtown, as well as playing a role in the revamp of the town’s water and sewer system. Hales also pursued grants and assistance when the town was flooded by hurricanes Matthew and Florence, as well as Tropical Storm Debby.
Hales led efforts to make Bladenboro one of the first towns in southeastern North Carolina to legalize golf carts on municipal streets. The town’s standards were picked up by other municipalities for their own rules.
Among Hales’ lesser-known efforts for the town was his advocacy of the Bridger Memorial Public Library. Hales was a big supporter of the library.
“Mr. Hales was one of the first people to reach out, offer his support and lend a helping hand,” said Kim Wilson, manager of the branch. “We are grateful for the positive impact he made in our community and will remember him fondly.”
On Monday, Hales took to social media to thank organizers and volunteers from last weekend’s Bladenboro Beastfest. His frequent “From the Mayor’s Desk posts on social media were a mix of town news, opinions, humor and promotional efforts for the town.
Hales will be eulogized Sunday at First Baptist Church Bladenboro. See the obituary elsewhere on this page for more.
