Bruce Wright, who wrote for floral publications for nearly 40 years, died Sept. 16.
Bruce Wright, who had one of the floral industry’s most recognized bylines, died of cancer September 16. He was 67.
Wright spent nearly 40 years writing for floral publications, most notably Teleflora’s Flowers& magazine, where he spent the bulk of his career — 33 years — as editor-in-chief. When the magazine closed in 2018, he became a regular contributing writer for the Society of American Florists, providing in-depth coverage on complex topics, such as how climate change and the move to sustainable growing practices affected growers and florists. He also briefly served as an editor of The Advocate, the national LGBTQ magazine.
“Bruce had a genuine love for the industry, which never seemed to wane even after so many years,” says Carol Caggiano, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, a longtime member of Teleflora’s education team who worked with Wright on many Flowers& features. “He was like a kid when it came to grand adventures, such as going to Holland for Horti Fair or South America to visit growers, and I’ll always remember him in the aisles of AIFD Symposiums and SAF conventions, crouching down with his camera and tripod to capture perfect photos for his articles.”
Wright’s dual talents as a writer and a photographer set him apart, says Joost Bongaerts, CEO of Florabundance in Carpinteria, California. Following years of thorough phone interviews, Bongaerts invited Wright to cover a design education event resulting in a feature story that was equal parts informative and eye-catching. “We both agreed that continuing education about flowers was so important,” he says. “He cared about details and wrote very thoughtful articles.”
In addition to his own professional writing and editing, Wright mentored others through their personal projects. “He committed untold hours to reading and commenting on the novels and nonfiction that friends and acquaintances would send him, offering them specific suggestions and general encouragement because he enjoyed helping others realize their vision,” says his husband, Nathan Clum. “He had a remarkable ability to find the good in everything he read, and an unforced desire to help the writer make the writing even better.”
Jeanne Ha, AIFD, co-owner of Park Florist in Takoma Park, Maryland, and founder of Washington Flower School, long admired Wright’s work and contacted him to help with her write a book about design principles such as line, depth, color, and focal emphasis. “Because English is not my mother tongue, Bruce agreed to edit my writing, and our collaboration of many years started,” she says. “We worked through tons of emails and weekly Zoom meetings.”
The pandemic delayed the publishing, but Ha’s book finally printed in January 2021. “Bruce told me about his illness and reported his condition honestly and calmly,” Ha says. “He had worried that he couldn’t finish the work with me and was very happy seeing a copy of the book. But we never had a chance to celebrate together in person.”
Wright was a fixture at floral industry events around the globe, where he befriended breeders, growers, distributors, florists, and his fellow journalists.
“Having worked with Bruce for over 25 years, I can hand on heart say the flower industry press corps will be a poorer place without him,” says Caroline Marshall-Foster, editor of The Florist, the United Kingdom’s florist trade magazine. “He wasn’t just a fabulous journalist — though his attention to detail was legend — he was also a genuinely nice chap, always happy to help, interested in everyone and everything, intelligent and very funny.”
Teleflora educator Joyce Mason-Monheim, AAF, AIFD, AzMF, PFCI, echoed that praise for Wright’s congeniality, wit and humor. “Bruce had the ability to make you feel important and special,” she says. “Being the conversationalist he was, he could approach any subject matter with great interest and passion. He was always inclusive, kind, and funny. He had so many qualities that defined him as an extraordinary human being.”
The people of the floral industry delighted Wright. “I occasionally asked him if he was tired of writing about flowers for so many years, and his response was, ‘no,’ because he didn’t really write about flowers — he wrote about people,” Clum says. “He had especially wonderful things to say about all the owners of small floral shops across the country who worked so hard and so passionately to bring joy into other people’s lives with flowers. And he spoke highly of all his colleagues and others helping those florists be successful. For Bruce, it always came back to the people.”
Katie Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
