John V. Wagner

1918 - 2015

John V. Wagner of Worcester John (“Jack”) V. Wagner passed away on October 29, 2015 at Meadowood, a retirement community in Worcester, Pennsylvania where he had resided since 2005. Born on November 13, 1918 on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in the Yorkville section (the home of Lou Gehrig and James Cagney), Jack was the middle child of three boys. He attended St. Anne’s High School and graduated from Manhattan College in 1939 with an Engineering Degree. During the War, Jack worked for Brewster Aviation in Long Island City and Warminster, Pennsylvania. At a friend’s wedding he met the lovely Ruth Leamy in 1942 and soon began dating her. Jack and Ruth were married on November 20, 1943 at the Church of Notre Dame in Manhattan with a reception following at the Pierre Hotel. After the War he went to work for Republic Aviation on Long Island where he rose to senior management until his retirement in 1983. At Republic Aviation, Jack worked on various projects including the Apollo Space Program and the Space Shuttle. He attended several Space Shuttle launches to witness his work. Jack was preceded in death by his beloved Ruth in 2012. Jack is survived by three children, John Wagner, Robert Wagner and Joan Haggerty (James), seven grandchildren, Joanna, Robert, David, Michael, Christopher, John and Elizabeth, and three great grandchildren, Sophia, Savannah and Tyler. Jack was a life long New York sports fan, attending many Yankees games while growing up. He also attended the second Major League Baseball All Star Game in 1934 at the Polo Grounds as well as the first professional hockey game in New York between the New York Americans and the Montreal Canadians. Jack always had a warm smile and a pleasant demeanor. Family and friends are asked to call at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in Upper Gwynedd, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. with a Mass of the Christian Burial to follow at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boys Town, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010. Arrangements are by Simcox-McIlvaine Funeral Home in Lansdale.