Robert Wagner Jr

Wise and loving, Robert (Bob) Miles Wagner, Jr., age 75, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, July 10, 2021, in Yuma, Arizona. He was born on December 14, 1945 in Erie, Pennsylvania.

As the son of Air Force pilot Lt. Col. Robert Miles Wagner, Sr. and Helen Jane Nunn, Bob spent most of his childhood moving around the U.S. and England, developing into a smart and athletic individual with an adventurous and nomadic spirit.

He graduated from high school in 1964 in Plattsburgh, NY, and studied one year at the Coast Guard Academy before later joining the United States Army in 1966. In 1971, he married the love of his life, Cheryl Dianne Cole, and started his bachelor’s degree in political science at Arizona State University. He later earned a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from ASU.

Together they raised their three children, Sarah, Leah, and David, instilling a love of God, a compassionate attitude toward others, and the importance of education, independence, and adventure.

Bob’s interesting array of accomplishments include receiving a Coast Guard Academy Appointment, being a National Chess Champion, serving as a City Councilor in Virginia, MN, as well as working as a Retail Manager, a college professor and administrator (in Minnesota, Arizona, and the United Arab Emirates), a Small Business Developer, and a church administrator.

Bob was well-balanced in many ways. He beautifully mastered the art of telling stories while fully listening to yours. He had a sweet, empathetic heart, even crying at commercials… and yet he was fiercely competitive, throwing his cards on the table and shouting “Supernatural!” when he lost a card game.

Completely devoted to his wife, Bob thoughtfully and tearfully cared for her through disease and pain during her final years and fondly missed her when she was gone.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert Miles Wagner, Sr. and Helen Jane (Molk) Nunn, his brother James (Jimmy) Lowell Wagner, and his brother John (Dick) Richard Wagner.

He is survived by his three children, Sarah Berkeley Lanning, Leah Jourdan Wagner, David Soren Wagner, ten grandchildren, his sister Elizabeth (Liz) Ann Klein and sister Mary Jane Boos.

Funeral services will be held at Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ on Tuesday, July 20 at 10 a.m., followed by burial at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, AZ.

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