Richard John Wagner

Richard John Wagner, 92, passed away on April 23, 2025, at his home in Edgemont Ranch.

Richard was born on December 3, 1932, in New Ulm, Minnesota; the son of Andrew Gustav and Ellen (Gareis) Wagner. He graduated from the New Ulm High School in 1950. He attended college at Harvard University; the University of Minnesota; and received his Doctor of Theoretical Physics in 1958 from Rice University. In 1958 he received the Cedric K. Fergus Medal by the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers for the best paper bublished by an author under 35. In 1958 he joined Space Technology Laboratories and then TRW. He remained there for 33 years, doing research largely in the areas of radiation scattering, random processes, and computer modeling of laser physics, and published 22 papers in scientific journals. He also worked part-time, first, teaching mathematics for several years at the University of Southern California, then as a consultant to Jerry Buss' real estate investment company from 1964 until Jerry bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1978. He retired in 1991 as Senior Scientist in the Advanced Technology Division of TRW.

Richard married his high school sweetheart, LaDonna Heck in May of 1963 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They would have celebrated 72 years of marriage next month.

Richard is survived by his wife, LaDonna; two daughters, Laurel Wagner, Temple City, CA and her children, Diana Russom and Jonathon Boren; Pamela (Tom) Kebis, Durango; sons Richard (Susan) Wagner, Vernonia, OR, and their children Elizabeth Wagner and Sarah Wagner; and David Wagner of Broomfield, CO. He is also survived by a sister, Iris Bauermeister, of Minneapolis, MN and two great granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother Andrew (Buddy) Wagner in 1940, and a grandson, Matthew Wagner in 1997.

Per his request, Richard will be cremated with a private burial at a later time at Greenmount Cemetery.