Belated notification....this is an ALPA
reported death that we had not previously been made aware of. The ALPA issue
month shows when the death was reported.
Below is what information I could find for
(NWA) Capt. Richard Henry Wagner. Captain Wagner’s obituary notes that he flew
for Frontier, North Central, Republic and Northwest Airlines. He took an early
retirement in 1983 which means he would have retired prior to mergers with
Northwest.
Captain Wagner is survived by his wife Roberta
‘Bobbie’. Their residence address is listed as
P.O. Box 307 , Lyons WI 53148-0307 ... (262) 763-2017
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Memorial blogspot http://pcnflightwest.blogspot.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
NAME STATUS DIED ALPA issue
Wagner, Richard H. Captain in Jan 2012 May-14 NW
NAME STATUS DIED ALPA issue
Wagner, Richard H. Captain in Jan 2012 May-14 NW
~ IN MEMORY ~
NWA Capt. Richard Henry Wagner
August 20, 1937 - January 1, 2012
RICHARD H. WAGNER
Posted by Roxanne Maas / In Obituaries / January 3,
2012
Richard H. Wagner, 74, of Lyons, died Jan. 1, 2012, at his
residence. He was born on Aug. 20, 1937, in Burlington, to the late Robert and
Elizabeth (Heintskill) Wagner.
He spent his early life in Burlington and was a graduate of
St. Mary’s High School. Dick proudly served in the National Guard.
On April 9, 1958, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyons, he
married Roberta “Bobbie” Ruedebusch. Together they have made their home in Lyons
since 1960. Dick was an airline pilot for 27 years. He and his wife founded and
owned Wag-Aero in Lyons. In 1978 they established a non-profit foundation with
the purpose of promoting aviation, supporting humanitarian programs throughout
the world, and preserving historical buildings and artifacts.
Survivors include his loving wife; daughters, Marcy (Ken)
Essman, Julie (Bob) O’Neill; grandchildren, Adam (Claire) Essman, Emily (Adam)
LaBadie, Abbey (Connor McKay) Essman, Meghan (Jason Leden) O’Neill, Melissa
(Bryn) Doyle, Marci (Jeff) Rueter and Molly (Dustin Elsbury) O’Neill;
great-grandchildren, Keira Doyle and Eli Richard LaBadie; siblings, Bob Jr.
(Elaine) Wagner, Jim Wagner, John Wagner, Joel Wagner, Margie (Mark) Johnston,
Bill (Jean) Wagner; in-laws, Ruth (Lon) Behrens, Rita (Mike) Pechacek, Pat
Ruedebusch, Rollie (Anne) Ruedebusch, Becky (David) Uhen, Mary (Jeff) Peterson;
nieces; nephews; other relatives and friends.
He was further preceded in death by his father-in-law and
mother-in-law, Bob and Marcella Ruedebusch and by brother-in-law and fellow
pilot, Dick Ruedebusch.
There will be a Memorial Mass on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m.,
at St. Charles Catholic Church with Rev. Steve Amann officiating. Honoring
Dick’s request, there will be no wake prior to the Mass, nor a reception
following the Mass. The family thanks you for understanding and will welcome
written condolences. Schuette-Daniels Funeral Home & Crematory, Burlington,
is assisting the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wagner
Foundation to continue the many programs which he and Bobbie initiated, and have
been so passionate about.
------------------------------------
He Flew Through Life.....
Dick and Bobbie Wagner in a recent family photo. Dick Wagner died Sunday at
his home in Lyons following a heart attack.
This Waco UPF-7 bi-plane was a favorite of Dick Wagner’s.
Wagner leaves long legacy in aviation, philanthropy
................By Ed Nadolski , Editor in Chief
If there was one thing Dick Wagner didn’t want, it was for
people to make a fuss over him.
To orphans in the Philippines, lepers in Bolivia and prisoners
in Belize he was an angel and a hero.
But no matter how they tried to thank him – whether it was
with a formal ceremony or a plaque on the wall – he’d tell them to keep their
money and spend it on something useful.
Somewhere in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, there is a boy – the son of
a woman touched by Wagner’s philanthropic works – named Ricardo in honor of the
quiet, affable man who would rather spend his money on someone facing adversity
half a world away than on a new pair of jeans for himself.
That kind of tribute, according to Bobbie Wagner, Dick’s wife
of 53 years, carried profound meaning for her husband, who had a special place
in his heart for children and the oppressed.
That heart – the impossibly large and tireless muscle that
cheerfully bore the burden of causes stretching from his hometown of Burlington
to remote corners of the globe – succumbed on Sunday.
Richard H. Wagner died of a heart attack Jan. 1 at his home in
Lyons. He was 74.
Wagner, who had quadruple coronary bypass surgery at the age
of 56, remained trim and fit over the past 18 years, according to Bobbie, whose
nickname has all but replaced her formal name of Roberta.
“He was still sawing wood and recently went climbing the hills
around Reedsburg,” she said, noting that Dick’s younger brother had trouble
keeping up with him.
For a man who took pride in saying he never worked a day in
his life – he loved what he did, so he didn’t consider it work – there was no
slowing down.
That was the impression Bobbie got in the early stages of
their 60-year love
story....................................................
A humble servant..............................For those who
knew him, he was a pioneering pilot, enterprising businessman and unassuming
philanthropist.
For his family, he was a loving husband and father whose
personal frugality betrayed the generosity he showered on others.
And for his hometown he was largely anonymous by choice, but
nonetheless a powerful force for
good.........................................
A pilot at heart..........................
According to his wife and daughters, other than his love of
family, Wagner’s greatest passion was aviation.
He obtained his pilot’s license as soon as he turned 16, even
before he was licensed to drive a car. At 18 he became the youngest commercial
pilot in the state.
He went on to have a distinguished 27-year career as a
commercial airline pilot for Frontier, North Central, Republic and Northwest
Airlines. He took early retirement in 1983 to focus his efforts full-time on
Wag-Aero, the business he and Bobbie founded 20 years
earlier....................................
Although he retired as a commercial pilot of DC-9 Super 50s,
Wagner still preferred the open-cockpit, seat-of-your-pants flying of vintage
planes. His personal favorite was a 1939 Piper Cub, according to son-in-law Ken
Essman, who is also a pilot................................
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