John David Wagner

John David Wagner, 85 of Hillsborough, NC passed away in his home on Sunday, September 24, 2023 following a brief illness.
Mr. Wagner was born on September 13, 1938 in Orange County, NC, in the Little River Township of the Caldwell community, to the late Ira Coleman Wagner and Elizabeth Lillian Cole Wagner. Paternal grandparents were John Minnick and Mamie Jacobs Wagner and maternal grandparents were Wiley Steven Cole and Mary Magelene Briggs Cole. In addition to his parents and grandparents, Mr. Wagner was preceded in death by his two beloved sons, Ernest Ira Wagner and John Dee Wagner and a brother, Ronald Coleman "Oodie" Wagner.
Mr. Wagner is survived by his wife of 66 years, Carolyn Medlin Wagner, his daughter, Lisa Carol Wagner, a grandson, David Coleman Wagner and a great granddaughter, Amelia Nicole Wagner. He is also survived by two brothers Roland Wagner, Daryl Wagner and wife, Linda, a sister, Cheryl Wagner Davis and many nieces, nephews and close friends, each near and dear to his heart.
Mr. Wagner moved with his parents to Hillsborough from Rougemont in 1941, where as a young boy, he was active in West Hill Baptist Church. He was a Sergeant in the United States Army, serving from 1956 to 1959 as a member of 82nd Airborne. Although stationed in Ft. Bragg, NC, he served primarily overseas in Germany, Lebanon and Turkey. Following his time in the US Army, Mr. Wagner worked as a brick mason building large scale commercial projects including student housing at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL and a housing project at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. His desire to be closer to family led to his career shift as a master machinist. He began his career as a machinist at Wright's Machine Shop in Durham, NC and later worked as a machinist for Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. His reputation as a master machinist and innovator was well known in the tobacco manufacturing industry and led to his recruitment by Phillip Morris Tobacco Company in Richmond, Virgina. He retired from his role of Mechanical Supervisor at Phillip Morris Tobacco Company in Concord, NC. After retirement, Mr. Wagner continued his passion for building new and restoring distressed residential and commercial property, including the property commonly known as "West End" in Hillsborough, NC. Mr. Wagner had an unwavering zest for life. He loved his Hillsborough community and demonstrated a lifelong commitment to building a better world for his community. He had a great passion for his family, hard work and classic automobiles.
Mr. Wagner will be remembered for his tireless work ethic, his generosity in helping others and for his dedication and commitment as a husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.
A Memorial Service will be held in honor of Mr. Wagner on Friday, October, 6, 2023 at 7:00 PM at Clement's Funeral Home in Hillsborough, NC. Visitation with family will be held from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in his honor.
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