R. Richard "Dick" Wagner

1943 - 2021

Wagner, R. Richard

MADISON - Born Sept. 29, 1943, to Roland A. Wagner and Katherine Moorman Wagner at Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, Roland Richard "Dick" Wagner graduated from the University of Dayton, B.A. 1965, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.A. 1967, and Ph.D. 1971 in American history. Dick had a storied career as a public servant and community leader. He worked for the State of Wisconsin in various budget, policy, and management positions for 33 years. He wrote "DOA The Story: Four Decades of Wisconsin's Department of Administration."

Dick chaired the Madison Landmarks Commission and headed up the Historic Park Fund which created the Period Garden Park in Mansion Hill. He lived in several Madison landmark home and was a founding member of Historic Madison, lnc. and the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. Appointed by Mayors Soglin, Skornicka, Sensenbrenner, Bauman, and Ciesleweicz to other bodies, his service included chairing the Plan Commission and the Urban Design Commission.

ln 1980, he was elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors where he served 14 years, including four years as chairperson. County service included the Dane County Regional Planning Commission, where he championed the first Starkweather Water Quality Plan, and on the Airport Commission, where he championed noise abatement efforts. Other civic involvement included serving on the boards of Downtown Madison, lnc. and the Olbrich Botanical Society for three decades.

Governor Martin Schreiber appointed him to the Wisconsin Arts Board, where he served as chairperson, and the Wisconsin Humanities Council. Governor Tony Earl appointed him as co-chair of the Governor's Council on Lesbian and Gay Issues. ln 1974, he supported efforts to enact a Madison gay rights ordinance and in 1978 and 1979 he served on the advisory board for the Gay Center.

As one of the first dozen openly gay officials in the nation, in 1985 he was a founding member of the National Association and Conference of Gay and Lesbian Public Officials (now the Victory Institute) and co-hosted with now Senator Tammy Baldwin the fifth conference in Madison.

Dick was a founding member and first co-chair of the New Harvest Foundation for LGBTQ charitable causes in the region and organized efforts to place George Segal's "Gay Liberation" in Orton Park. He served on the Board of AIDS Network where he championed the Rodney Scheel House for persons with HIV/AIDS. He served on the board of Fair Wisconsin 2005-2013.

ln retirement, he was acclaimed as an award-winning author on Wisconsin gay history. He authored "We've Been Here All Along: Wisconsin's Early Gay History" (2019) and "Coming Out, Moving Forward: Wisconsin's Recent Gay History" (2020). He contributed a chapter to the anthology, "Education for Democracy: Renewing the Wisconsin Idea" (2O2O).

A strong supporter of ecumenical Christianity and social justice, he organized a rally in Dayton for civil rights at the time of Selma and marched with Father James Groppi for open housing in Milwaukee. He was a campus organizer for the Moratorium Against the War in Vietnam.

Influenced during his graduate school days by the brothers of Taize from their ecumenical monastery in Burgundy, he has been associated with the ecumenical Benedictine Holy Wisdom Monastery and the effort to preserve Wisdom Prairie.

A celebration of his incredible life will take place at HOLY WISDOM MONASTERY, located at 4200 County Highway M, Town of Westport, on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. Visitation will be from 2 p.m.-3 p.m., services will be held at 3 p.m., and a reception will follow. Memorial gifts to the Olbrich Botanical Society or Holy Wisdom Monastery are suggested.

To view and sign this guestbook, please visit www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

2418 N. Sherman Ave.

(608) 249-8257