Richard R. "Dick" Wagner

Richard R. "Dick" Wagner, 81, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Libertyville. With his wife of 55 years, Jan, his proudest legacy are his sons, Steven (Berchetta) Wagner and Brian (Jennifer Rich) Wagner, and his 5 grandchildren, Jenson, Ava, Hope, Rosie and Nathan Wagner. A close second is his restored '57 Ford, which could often be seen at Car Fun on 21 and other local car shows. Dick was born March 16, 1941, in Waukesha, WI, and settled in Libertyville in 1984. From an early age, he was a car guy, racing go-karts and stock cars, which he built and fixed up himself. His passion for ‘anything with a motor’ also extended to earning a private pilot's license and building model railroads. In 1961, Dick was a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard that was called up during the Berlin Crisis and was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. After returning to Wisconsin and graduating from Carroll College in Waukesha, where he met and married Jan, he started his 35-year career at the Ford Motor Company, eventually traveling over most of the country. Dick never met a road trip he didn't love, especially if there was family to visit, an obscure landmark to learn about, or an old car to see. When his boys were young, Dick spent many hours passing on to them his knowledge and love of racing, teaching them to fix up cars and motorcycles, and taking them to race tracks in the midwest. Later in life, he returned to his early passions, restoring a '36 Ford pickup truck and a '58 Pontiac, before his ‘57. Dick was a huge supporter of all of his grandchildren's exploits, attending many baseball and hockey games and theater performances, and always bestowing upon the participating grandchild a celebratory root beer barrel, which he bought specifically for that purpose. When he wasn't able to attend, he always called the next day for an update, just to see how it went. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Dorothy Wagner, his father- and mother-in-law Howard and Catherine Rosenow, his sister and brother-in-law, Beverly and Ray Orlopp, his brother-in-law, Gene Schopf, his brother-in-law, Larry Grafwallner, and his sister-in-law, Gloria Wagner. He is survived by his brother, David Wagner. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date. Please help us fondly remember Dick by sharing a memory at www.burnettdane.com. Arrangments by Burnett-Dane Funeral Home in Libertyville, IL. For info: 847-362-3009.

Richard R. "Dick" Wagner

March 16, 1941 - February 9, 2023