Richard “Dick” Franklyn Wagner was born at home in Floral Park, NY, on February 8, 1932, and died February 12, 2021, at the age of 89. He passed away from Covid complications with his wife of almost 38 years, Bonnie Egan, and his daughter, Sharon Wagner, present at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, IL.

He is survived by his son, Franklyn Wagner (Shannon), and grandson, Chris Wagner (Shoshana) with great grandchildren, Kaleigh, Cadence, and Sawyer. In addition to Sharon Wagner (Jeff Kaempf), he is survived by grandson Michael. He was predeceased by his sister, Barbara Anderson, and was a loving uncle to his many nieces and nephews, including those he “adopted.”

His childhood home was in Norristown, PA, and he often talked about having snowball fights with friends at nearby Valley Forge. He attended UCLA and received a degree in Electrical Engineering. He fondly remembered raiding the Hollywood studios for props for fraternity parties and seeing movie stars in the Los Angeles area. He completed college on a Navy ROTC scholarship and served for three years in the Navy. He was commissioned as a Supply Officer and served on a refrigerated provision ship USS Polaris and on a destroyer USS Cogswell. He was fortunate to be stationed in Japan and travel to Australia and Europe at peace time.

After his service in the Navy, he went to work for Westinghouse and began his more than 35 years career with the company in Buffalo, NY, where he also earned his MBA from the University of Buffalo. Later he transferred with Westinghouse to Chicago, Asheville, NC, and the New York City/New Jersey area and finally transferred back to Chicago. In 1993 he founded the Egan-Wagner Corporation built on his knowledge of Westinghouse and other vendors’ motor control center equipment. He loved remaining involved in the business until his death.

Dick’s lifelong love of music was well known among his family and friends. Not only as a patron of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera, but also as an enthusiastic bass singer for more than 35 years with the Downers Grove Choral Society and the First United Methodist Church Choir in Downers Grove. One of his first questions to his wife, Bonnie, was “Do you like opera?” Dick was happiest going to an opera and he and Bonnie went to many operas and concerts across the US and in Europe, Australia, Canada, and Russia.

Dick was exceedingly pleased when someone told him he looked like Einstein or Mark Twain, both personal heroes of his. He read all of the Mark Twain novels as a young person and continued reading them as an adult. He especially enjoyed Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, since it was about travel which he loved. Dick was happiest planning his next trip, especially if the trip included his family. Family was what he loved most in life.

A Memorial Service was held at the Morton Arboretum on July 25, 2021. Memorial gifts may be made to the Downers Grove Choral Society, PO Box 655, Downers Grove, IL 60515.