William J. Wagner

William J. Wagner, 75, of Longmeadow, MA, a former banker and respected community service leader, was unexpectedly and peacefully called home on Saturday, December 25, 2021, surrounded by his loving wife and family. He was born to the late James E. Wagner, who was the Fire Chief of the West Springfield Fire Department and died in the line of duty in 1970 and Lauretta Lucita (Beauregard) Wagner Charest, and was predeceased by his brother Robert Wagner and his former spouse Susan J. Wagner. Bill was born in West Springfield, MA where he resided for many years prior to relocating to Longmeadow. Bill leaves behind his loving wife Karen Lazeration Wagner and his four cherished children, Joshua Wagner and his wife Ashley of Southampton, MA; James Wagner and his wife Lyn of Jupiter, FL; Abigail Wagner of Dedham, MA and Lillian Wagner of Longmeadow, MA. He also leaves behind three beloved grandchildren, Ashton of Southampton, MA and Abby and Lola of Jupiter, FL. Bill will be deeply missed by his brother James Wagner and his wife Jane of West Springfield, MA; his sister Susan Wagner Keleher and her husband Thomas of Falmouth, Cape Cod and his brother Thomas Wagner and his wife Cheryl of Falmouth, Cape Cod, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and life-long friends. 

Bill had a remarkable banking career that spanned 58 years with four financial institutions. Most notably, he served 32 years as the President and CEO of Chicopee Savings Bank from 1984 up until its successful merger with Westfield Bank in 2016. Bill remained employed with Westfield Bank in advisory and business development roles until his retirement on November 12 of this year. He further served as the Vice-Chair of the Boards of Directors of Westfield Bank and Western New England Bancorp, Inc., from 2016 to 2018. 

Bill was a graduate of Cathedral High School and Holyoke Community College and received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting, Cum Laude, in 1974 from Western New England University. In 2003, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree from the Elms College. He was a communicant of Sacred Heart Church in Springfield. 

“Take strict care of family, the community and work hard” were Bill’s three life rules, and the ol’ adage “What you do has far greater impact than what you say” described Bill well. He was highly regarded in the community as the one who gets things done. Bill was instrumental in the establishment of the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation in 2006. Serving as its President, he ensured a sound financial resource for hundreds of local charities for years to come. Bill was well known in the community through his active leadership roles and participation on the boards of several civic and charitable organizations who benefited by his wisdom, strong will and compassion. He particularly enjoyed serving on the board of the Eastern States Exposition as Treasurer. Bill will fondly be remembered as “Mister Big E,” as he looked forward to attending the fair each year since childhood and welcomed the opportunity to serve the organization he loved so dearly. 

Bill is the recipient of dozens of humanitarian awards in recognition of his tireless and selfless service, including the West Springfield Rotary Club’s prestigious Service Above Self Paul Harris Fellowship Award, the Banker & Tradesman's 2013 

Community Bank Hero's Award, the 2013 Chicopee Boys & Girls Club's Prescott Founders Award, the 2010 Bishops' Catholic Schools Award from the Diocese of Springfield, as well as the First Annual Presidential Award from Our Lady of The Elms College and the 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts of America, Western Mass Council. Bill said it best, “I tried to give back and be a good citizen.  That’s all you can do in life.”

At home, Bill was a devoted family man who especially enjoyed spending time with his wife Karen, fishing with his son Josh, talking about golf and sports with his son James, cheering on his daughters Abigail and Lillian during their equestrian competitions and celebrating both of their accomplishments with the Auburn University, Division I, Equestrian Team. Bill loved morning coffee with his friends, working in his yard with his dog Ruby and playing fetch and watching TV with his dog Lulu. Bill loved his work and looked forward to it every day. He enjoyed working with his colleagues and customers and felt privileged to be a part of their lives. Bill loved to cook, he was an accomplished amateur chef and was passionate about fine food and wine. Bill's simplest pleasures were to walk on the beach of his Florida home and end his day with a glass of fine wine or scotch with a good cigar on the porch of his Longmeadow house. He was a dedicated Red Sox, New England Patriots and Auburn Football Fan and enjoyed watching the”big games” with his family and friends. However, his greatest enjoyment was cooking for his family and friends and he always looked forward to family gatherings, especially the Wagner Family Christmas Party - his favorite day of the year. 

Due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. There will be a memorial service and a celebration of Bill’s life in the Spring of 2022. The family expresses their gratitude to all of Bill’s friends and business colleagues for their thoughtful expressions of care during this difficult time. In honor of Bill’s devotion to community service, his family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to a local community charity. J.