Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner, 76, of Honesdale, died Wednesday in the Regional Hospital of Scranton after an illness. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, the former Deborah Dietz.

Born May 31, 1938 in Tcherwenka, Yugoslavia, he was the son of the late Daniel and Sophia Hoenig Wagner.

Also surviving are children Daniel Wagner and his wife Dena of Dyberry Twp., Karin Riek and her husband Mark of Elmhurst, Samuel Wagner and his wife Melanie of Carbondale, Gabriel Wagner and his wife Kathleen of Honesdale, Benjamin Wagner of Bethany and Abigail Wagner of Honesdale; stepdaughter Naomi Chambers and her husband James of Fort Smith, AR; sister Marlene Wagner of Streamwood, IL, brother Leonard Wagner of Houston, TX; grandsons Neil and Logan Wagner and Liam Chambers; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, the former Kim Dickerson, and by his sisters Margaret Mudrak and Susan Schaeffer.

Richard was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and attended the Kingdom Hall in Honesdale.  In recent years he worked as an Electrolux dealer and as a cashier at Sam’s Club. At the time of his death he was employed as “everyone’s favorite cashier” at the Honesdale Walmart, a title he also enjoyed when he recently lived in Fort Smith, AR and worked in that city’s Zero Street Walmart.

Upon arriving in the United States with his family, Richard lived in Chicago and was educated in the Chicago school system. At the age of 21 he undertook the adventure of moving to New York City. Like many young people living in New York in the 1960’s, he rented a cold water flat in Greenwich Village and worked at a variety of colorful jobs before going to work at the Lawton Company. One of those jobs he remembered most fondly was his time as a “gofer” for long-time TV host Joe Franklin.

Richard will be remembered as a loving husband, father and brother, a hard worker, an avid Mets fan, a lover of music and classic movies, and a kind-hearted man who enjoyed conversing with friends and strangers alike.

Services will be held Saturday December 20th at 4:00 pm at the Honesdale Kingdom Hall, 2756 Lake Ariel Highway, Honesdale.

Cremation took place in the Lake Region Crematory at the James Wilson Funeral Home.