Mr. Wagner was born in Matthews, Va., on Feb. 11, 1918, to the Rev. Belford N. deFoe Wagner and Mary Lillian Ham Wagner. He spent most of his childhood in Warrenton. He attended Virginia Episcopal School, graduated from John Graham High School in Warrenton and also attended Shenandoah Music Conservatory in Dayton, Va. He retired in 1986 as owner of Wagner Music Co. in Lexington. Prior to that, he was the band director at Lexington Senior High School from 1948 to 1960. During this time he served a term as the president of the North Carolina Band Masters Association. Following this, he served as band director of the Lexington Community Band for several years. In his early teaching career he served as band director in Warrenton and Morganton.