03/30/2026
We are saddened to learn of the passing of longtime Grand Rapids TV weatherman and morning host, Buck Matthews. He was 97.
After serving in the U.S. Air Force at Michigan’s Selfridge Air Force Base, Matthews was hired as weatherman for WOOD Radio and WOOD TV (1961). In 1971, he launched the daily morning "The Buck Matthews Show," and over a nine-year stretch, Matthews did nearly 2,000 shows. Working at WOOD TV for more than 20 years, he became a local celebrity supporting a number of West Michigan community programs. Matthews was truly dedicated to the arts and served on the boards of directors of Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Symphony, as well as president of the former Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids board. In his spare time, he authored a book to inspire youth to take a chance at work you love, and often made special custom doll houses for children’s organizations in the area.