John Thomas Wagner

John Thomas Wagner was born August 3, 1945 in Johnson City, NY. John died March 17, 2023, in Midland, TX after a 20-year battle with Leukemia and 5-year battle with Lung Cancer. Services will be held by the family on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 1:00 PM at Fellowship Baptist Church, in Greenwood, TX. Two additional Celebrations of Life will be held. One at the First Baptist Church of Round Rock on April 15, 2023 and the other for his friends and family in New York on May 29, 2023 at Crosspoint Church in Whitesboro, NY.

John Wagner (Jack to his family) had an amazing 23 year career in the Air Force as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist. While serving, he was assigned four times to Goodfellow AFB, Texas, as an instructor and assignments to his HQ at Kelly AFB, TX; Hof, Germany; Rimbach, Germany; Augsburg, Germany; West Berlin, Germany before the wall came down; and at a school at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Maryland. He completed his career at the distinguished rank of Chief Master Sergeant, E9, the highest enlisted grade, at Goodfellow AFB, where he was the Superintendent of the East European Language Training Division. 

After leaving the military, he completed his degree in Sociology, 30 years after his first college course in 1963. He worked in a Court Residential Treatment Center in San Angelo, Texas.  He then became a probation officer in San Angelo, TX followed by 20 years as a Trainer with both the Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice and the Texas State Health Department in Austin, TX. 

John retired from the Texas State Health Department as a Training Manager, he and his wife moved back to upstate New York where people constantly asked them, “WHY???” He continued to travel back and forth from his NY home and their home in TX until his death.  His favorite pastime was fishing at the creek by his home.   He also loved being on his computer where he stayed connected to friends and family through games and Facebook. He never met a pun or Dad Joke he didn’t like. 

He was a lifelong Baptist and served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher for many years.  He was a devoted Christian from his youth and made that decision when he was 12.  He lived his faith without being preachy.

He was preceded in death by his parents Donald and Margaret Wagner and his brother, Tom Wagner.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Cheryl Wagner; his two daughters and their spouses, Cheri Gray and Gary Merriman of San Angelo, TX and Cindy and Corbin Elliott of Greenwood, TX; 5 grandchildren, Jonathan, James, Holly, Gavin and Jackson; and 5 great-grandchildren; along with three of his four brothers and their spouses, James O’Donnell of Endicott, NY; Robert Wagner of West Chester, OH; and William Ryall of New York City, NY

John was a superhero disease fighter and armed himself with every detail available regarding the diseases that were assaulting his body for many years. He won many of those battles but this final onslaught was too much for even the strongest fighter. He is now disease free, rejoicing with his Lord and Savior. The fight has finished and he leaves behind a grieving family and many friends and fellow warriors he grew close to over the years in the CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) community. He was and will remain an inspiration to those who were honored to know him. You fought valiantly Jack, now ”May flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of John’s favorite causes that he supported during his life: Fellowship Baptist Church Building Fund; The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Kelberman Center of Excellence for Autism; or Midland Children’s Rehabilitation Center.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland.  Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com

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