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Barbara WAGNER Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for Barbara WAGNER
Billy McIntosh
April 13, 2011
Ms. Wagner (Barb) was that best of things--a teacher and mentor to young adult about to embark upon the Great Adventure. To that end, she modeled poise, panache, profundity, passion, patience, perfection and plain ol' fashioned pluck.
As a student of hers at Ottawa Hills, I experienced first-hand her wisdom and willingness to help others (with the prerequisite that they were willing to help themselves), as well as her wit and (occasionally) Wildness (thank you Ms. Wagner for introducing me to Vonnegut's Welcome to the Monkey House, despite the protestations that you predicted would arise were our parents to find out; to wit: "I cannot live with myself if I send you all off to college without reading one of the great collections of short stories by one of our great authors).
She was also, when the moment called for it, a good and loyal friend, which is an invaluable gift in life.
I cannot express how fundamental her influence on me as a student and a human being was, and how much I regret that I could not be present in person to express my gratitude to her family and friends who surely supported her so that she could support us--her second family, the students of Ottawa Hills.
I take this opportunity to recognize her service to her community, and to express my condolences to her family and friends, and to the students she taught; there will never be another like her, and as I write this, I wish that I could sit in just one more of her classes, pick up another set of handouts ("this one, this one, this one, this one AND this one...now c'mon let's go!"), and sit back and let her teach me a thing or two more about English, Speech, Life, the Universe and Everything.
Very sincerely, and with the greatest of respect to all who knew and cared for her,
Billy J. McIntosh (Class of '90)
Jeremy Bauer
September 26, 2010
Mrs. Wagner, simply put, was one of a kind. To this day, I still say (thanks to being corrected many times by Mrs. Wagner) "dogs get mad and people get angry." I will miss you Mrs. Wagner...thanks for all the wonderful classroom memories.
Jan and Julie Poll
September 16, 2010
Our deepest sympathy Sandy.
Jan Poll and Julie Poll Riggs
Leah Ray
September 16, 2010
What a force of nature Mrs. Wagner was! I can still see her so clearly, wearing a sharp red suit, walking briskly down the hallway of OHHS. There was simply no hesitating when it came to Mrs. Wagner. She was tough, demanding, and simply a great teacher. She had an enormous impact on generations of kids at OHHS, and I'm so glad I had the chance to learn from her.
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Barb Sams
September 15, 2010
Dearest family and friends of Barbara Wagner: It is fairly obvious by all the wonderful comments that Mrs. Wagner had a positive impact on everyone she met. I have spoken fondly of her for years, commenting on how she was always my favorite teacher at OHHS. She will be missed and always remembered! May God bless Barbara Wagner's family with peace at this time of great grief.
Fondly,
Barb (Wacke) Sams
Lee and Liz Moree
September 15, 2010
Mrs. Wagner taught our five children well. She was one of those dedicated teachers who made a difference in the world of children.
September 15, 2010
My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Barbara Wagner was a fantastic teacher and a blessing to all of her students. I was very lucky to have been her student. Julie Ferguson (Columbus, Ohio)
Mark Glosser
September 15, 2010
Created expectations beyond what we had for ourselves and helped us to get there. A worthy beacon for all teachers to follow and aspire to. She will be missed. In His Grace.
PR Casey
September 15, 2010
Mrs. Wagoner came along as my teacher when I was at a schooling crossroads. Academically it was 50/50 whether I would succeed or fail. Her tough but ultimately caring teaching helped motivate me at a time when I really needed the push. She personally recommended me for "honors" english senior year and that year of learning in her class coupled with her encouraging recommendation made me realize I could reach higher than I previously had. I am forever thankful to her - she was everything a teacher should and can be.
Robert Cowie
September 15, 2010
Every time I hear someone say "who" when they should be saying "whom" or using an adjective where they should be using an adverb (a common occurrence these days), I think of Barbara Wagner. She was a great teacher: never afraid to push hard and demand results, and all of her former students are the better for it!
Funny but true story: About twenty years ago I was mugged while walking home in Boston. When the guy threw me up against a wall and demanded my money, the first thing out of my mouth was an emphatic,"NO!" Then, during that stretching of time that happens in fight or flight situations, I thought to myself, "Okay, 'NO' is my thesis statement, and I can't contradict it in the body of my paper." So, each time he asked again (less politely each time), my answer was still "NO." In the end, I got beat up, but not too badly. He didn't get my cash, and I was content in the knowledge that I would have gotten an "A" for so strongly supporting my thesis from Mama Wags.
Thank you Mrs. Wagner, you'll be missed.
Amy Peykoff-Hardin
September 15, 2010
Mrs. Wagner was certainly a very tough teacher, but what a wonderful and fair teacher as well...she taught us all to take English seriously, and really provided a wonderful basis of education for us! Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time.
Laura & Scott Buckey
September 15, 2010
Our deepest sympathy to your family for your loss. Anyone who ever had Mrs. Wagoner will never ever forget her. There are thousands of adults who have the capability to persuade, decipher analogies, appreciate literature, and speak properly as a result of her commitment to her craft.
September 15, 2010
"Mrs. Wagner was my best teacher ever. She is that special person we are all lucky to have in our lives. My thoughts and prayers to all." Jill Kegler (Bowling Green)
Gary Fruchtman
September 15, 2010
My condolences to the Wagner family. "Wags" was clearly "that" teacher that made an impact on me, my writing skills and my life. I still remember her words "Mr. Fruchtman, turn your head around. I don't want to see your face!" (that was repeated many times in study hall). Tough, fair, smart, funny and caring. She will be missed. Gary Fruchtman
Kristi Benson Foster
September 14, 2010
I hope Mrs. Wagner's family knows what an impact she had on so many generations of OH students. I was just talking about the "A" project and the long lists of prefixes and suffixes that we studied to my children last night! My condolences to you, but there are many wonderful memories for so many...
Sara Shields
September 14, 2010
My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Wagner's family. I'll always remember her teaching--the daily blackboard sayings (I quote liberally to my kids from the first day of 10th grade English--"you never get a second chance to make a first impression"); the summer reading pages (I never could beat her total number!); the way she taught us to eschew the "be" verb (and use big words such as eschew); of course the A project but also the poetry project. And of course, Quiz Bowl! Most of all she taught me to love writing (and reading). What lifelong gifts. Somewhere she's enjoying her favorite novel right now, I'm sure!
John McNamara
September 14, 2010
A fantastic teacher and a great Quiz Bowl coach. She helped me kick it into gear and get serious about getting an education. My good thoughts to her family and friends.
Scott Robertson
September 14, 2010
Unbelievable teacher. The ability to be hard, fair and fun is difficult to achieve - and Mama Wags pulled it off. I would imagine her class was the best prep for college that any of us could have hoped for. Thanks Wags!
Kevin Robertson
September 14, 2010
The Robertson's were lucky enough to have Mrs. Wags teach 4 of us over the years. We are all better people for having her in class. Her name has come up many times during family get togethers and always brings a laugh to all. She was simply the best. The best teacher I ever had.May your family take comfort in knowing how many lives she touched. Thanks for sharing her with us.
God Bless
J.B. Rorick
September 14, 2010
One of my all-time favorite teachers. She was able to just PULL creativity from us. Her classes were the source of some of my best & worst school experiences ... all remembered fondly. What a loss for all of us!
September 14, 2010
She is the reason I am teaching English. (Minor Levis Duran, Taos, NM)
Doug "Big D" Brown
September 14, 2010
My thoughts and prayers are with the entire family during this time! Mrs.Wagner was one of the best teachers I got to sit under during my days at Ottawa Hills! Her sayings on the front chalkboard were always thought provoking and inspiring. Those persuasion projects were so much fun! I tried to persuade her to "C" the light and she ended up giving me a "B" because I was "so clever". I hope she gets an "A" from the Almighty Lord for all the good she did here.
Burt Jamieson
September 14, 2010
We just had our 30th OHHS class reunion and we all shared fond memories of our great teachers at OHHS - Mrs. Wagner was at the top of that list.
Mama Wags taught hundreds of us how to express ourselves with the written word - a life long gift. We will miss her.
Condolences,
Dianne Reed
September 14, 2010
In loving memory of one of the greatest teachers ! Barb Wagner always brought the best out in all of her students. May God bless her family in this difficult time
Martha Tansey-Evanoff
September 14, 2010
God Bless "Mama Wags"! I still remember the papers. If you had three errors, she stopped grading it, gave it back to you and gave you one chance to get it right or fail. I couldn't have asked for a better English teacher. Her persuation unit (Give Me an A) brought out the best in all us who attended OH. She was the best of the best. Sincere condolences to her family.
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