Kieth Wagner

Keith was born on December 25, 1943 to loving parents Henry and Theresa Wagner. He and his brother, Kim Wagner, grew up in Jackson, Missouri, and Keith attended college at the University of Missouri Rolla where he earned a degree in industrial engineering. Shortly after, he served four years in the Army National Guard, then moved around the country until he met the love of his life—Mary Stafford—in a bowling alley in Memphis, Tennessee. Mary and Keith were married in 1973 and settled in Horn Lake, Mississippi where son, Kyle, and daughter, Christy, were born. After a long rewarding career as an industrial engineer, Keith retired, and he and Mary moved to Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. In those early years, Keith played baseball and golf and loved camping and boating with his family. They would head off into the woods most weekends with a camper behind the family car and a boat following along behind that. To hear Mary tell it, it was quite the set up. He always loved fishing with friends and family, though both Mary and Kyle can tell stories about some casting mishaps that made Keith wonder if bringing them along was such a good idea after all. Fortunately, by the time Christy was born, he had learned his lesson about teaching the family to fish. Keith carried that love of fishing throughout his life—especially trips taken with his brother, Kim and his best friend, Ron. Keith and Mary raised their kids with all the love and support they possibly could. They cheered at football games and track meets. And when the kids moved out of the home, he covered an entire wall with proud mama and papa pictures, lest anyone forget where his heart lie. He was also an avid sports fan, and one way he expressed love was by rooting for your team. When his son and daughter-in-law graduated from Mississippi State, Keith became an instant fan of all things Bulldog. When his daughter and son-in-law moved to Houston, Keith bought a Texas A&M cap. Thank goodness his kids rarely had teams competing against one another! Keith also loved his grandsons, Alec and Keegan. When visiting, he wouldn’t hesitate to share their latest school pictures or gymnastics videos and beam proudly. He would tell stories of the funny things Keegan said and how Alec was good at everything. The boys called him Pop Pop, and Keith couldn’t be prouder of them. There was no limit to Keith’s love for family, including the animals that came into their lives. Keith and Mary even have pictures of all their animals and their kids’ animals—past and present—on the family tree in their home. And it’s quite the branch because he almost never turned away a cat or a dog, especially if it was being held up to him by his daughter. Finally, Keith loved Mary. He loved her cooking—her chili and lasagna the most—but would gladly eat anything she made. And he would make sure she had anything she needed, or wanted, for that matter. Mary had to be careful about saying that she liked something, or it would arrive in an Amazon box a few days later. From the moment he walked past Mary in that bowling alley, Keith was hooked. Even though she may have thought otherwise based on his trying to play it cool. He could even tell you what she wore that first night, and he would tell her in their later years that she was just as beautiful as the day they met. Keith adored Mary, and everyone who knew them, knows it.
Keith loved many things throughout his life—fishing, sports, many cats and dogs, but he loved his friends and family the most. He will be remembered always and fondly and very dearly missed.