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Robert (Bob) Wagner, born May 11, 1918 in The Bronx, NY, died March 3, 2004 in Santa Fe, NM He was preceded in death by his parents, Philip Joseph Wagner and Anna Victoria Pavelka; and by his wife, Margaret (Peggy) Lillian Campbell Wagner. He is survived by his son, Philip C. Wells; and daughter, Ruth S. Wagner of Santa Fe, NM; and son, James R. Wagner of Austin, TX; cousins, Bob Pritzlaf, Corriene Weis, Kerstin Weis, of Albuquerque, and Chase Weis of Denver, Co. Bob had a distinguished career at the University of Texas at Austin. He started as a Teaching Fellow in Zoology in 1940 and was named Emeritus Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in 1999. While a National Research Council Fellow at California Institute of Technology in 1946 he met the love of his life, Peggy. They were married in 1947 and returned to the University of Texas where he continued to teach, do research, and write. He and Peggy moved to Santa Fe, NM in 1975 and began a second career as a consultant for the Life Science Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1977-1999. During his life he wrote over 100 Research Articles, Abstracts, General and Review Articles and co-wrote six books, one of which was translated in to five languages including Russian. This book proved to be the groundbreaker that brought the Russian scientific community into modern genetics. He received a career award from the National Institutes of Health 1962-1977, Distinguished Service Award of the Texas Genetics Society of America in 1971, recipient of numerous research grants for Office of Naval Research, National Institutes of Health, Welch Foundation, National Science Foundation over the period 1947-1977, as well as keeping a rigorous schedule of invited lectures, seminars, etc. and was a member of numerous scientific societies. His students came from around the world to study with him and he helped to inspire them either to teach or to enter into research and kept in contact with most of them in one form or another for the rest of his life. Bob always invited his doctoral candidates and promising undergraduates to his home, essentially bringing them into the nurturing family scenario and inspiring them to carry. He always felt that a good meal and warm and sincere camaraderie bolstered his students learning power and gave them a temporary home while they were under his tutelage. A man who really enjoyed the essential dichotomy of life, he was involved in the Presbyterian Church as a deacon and elder both in Austin and Santa Fe, and had even delivered seminars and lectures to various church groups to explain the study of human genetics and its relevance to contemporary Christian life. As a passionate thinker, teacher, and philosopher, he encouraged every one in his life to follow their own passions and to stretch their brains to solve problems and to question the status quo. He treated people with real compassion and as equals and is already missed by his family and friends. His interests were widely varied and not limited to the sciences. He loved tending his garden, walking in the mountains and playing his violin. He loved working with his hands making furniture and other useful things from wood. The family wishes to thank his housekeeper, Mary Gallegos, and his doctor, Dow Suhre who cared for him for many years and the staff of the Intensive Care Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital, Santa Fe. A memorial service will be held at his home Saturday, March 6, 2004 at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John Kerry campaign or any environmental group.
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