EDWARD “Ned” JOHN WAGNER

Little Compton, R.I. – Despite the dedicated, determined and valiant efforts of the Little Compton Fire Department, Ned Wagner, age 85, a longtime resident of Little Compton, passed away from cardiac arrest on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

A survivor of childhood polio and most recently having fought prostate cancer to a stand-still for over seven years with the expertise and professionalism of his doctors and staff at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Providence, RI and the VA clinic in Middletown, RI -- what didn’t kill Ned made him stronger, forging his faith and positive attitude, hardening his abundance of Irish-German American stubbornness and grit.  Self-deprecating, however, Ned would simply state he was “too stupid” to know he should be dead.

Ned was born on October 10, 1938 to Roseann Clark Wagner and Carl Edward Wagner then of Brockton, Massachusetts.Growing up in Brockton watching Rocky Marciano regularly run by his childhood home, Ned was a graduate of Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Massachusetts and Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, he attended his beloved alma mater Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont and served in the U.S. Army from 1960 to 1963.

Ned was a devoted Catholic and American patriot, who while serving in the Army, carried with him a prayer from his mother “Sweet Holy Ghost give me the gifts of Wisdom and Fortitude,Our Father, Hail Mary, Gloria” and the quote of Commodore Stephen Decatur “Our country! … may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!”

After his military service Ned followed his grandfather’s footsteps to Wall Street, having an illustrious career in finance,variously working for PaineWebber, Brown Brothers Harriman and Deutsche Bank.

Ned was predeceased by the love of his life, Judith (Dolan) Wagner, his sophisticated and globetrotting wife of forty-two years who passed away suddenly in 2018 and whose reunion he has long craved and prayed for.

When not absorbing Judy’s total love, following Judy to exotic locales or devouring Judy’s signature gourmet meals and incredible apple pies, Ned relished talking and spending time with friends and family.  Ned continually consumed books, especially regarding the outdoors, military history, Knights Templars and prose of Robert W. Service.  He also loved spending his leisure time with his numerous canines, watching the ocean, football and TV shows NCIS and Navy SEALs, skeet shooting, fishing for stripers or salmon, presenting flies to trout, hunting or observing wary black ducks in the surf off Little Compton, whitetails in Vermont, elk in Colorado or caribou and brown bear in Alaska. He also enjoyed teaching children while serving as a docent at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Ned is survived by his sister Janet Wagner Latham and her husband Brad of Reading, Massachusetts and his brothers, Robert Wagner and his wife Donna of Whitman, Massachusetts and William Wagner and his wife Elizabeth of Milton, Massachusetts, nephews Mark Sergi of Tampa, Florida, Christopher Latham and his wife Michelle of Rowley, Massachusetts, Joshua Latham and his wife Jamie of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Eric Wagner and his wife Tricia of Wall, New Jersey, John Latham and his wife Melissa of Fremont, New Hampshire, and Mr. & Mrs. Zachary Wagner of Abington, Massachusetts and nieces Maryann Sergi Taylor of Daniel Island, South Carolina, Patricia Sergi Duty of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Suzanne Sergi Murphy of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Jessica Wagner of Abington, Massachusetts, Stephanie McCusker of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Gretchen Wagner of Milton, Massachusetts, great nieces Charlotte Latham, Sophia Rose Latham, Molly Murphy, Ava Latham, Ella Sergi, Maya McCusker and Elizabeth Latham and great nephews Brandon Duty, Joshua Duty, Tim Taylor, Ryan Duty, Bradley Latham, Connor Wagner, Alec Sergi, Grant Latham, Harrison Latham, and Maverick Brown. In addition to Ned’s parents he was also predeceased by his sister, Maryann (Wagner) Sergi and her husband Dr. Arthur (Bing) Sergi, formerly of Duxbury, Massachusetts.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, 11:00 AM, at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 74 Simmons Road, Little Compton, RI. Burial will be private. All friends are welcome to attend a collation for Ned at 12:00 noon at St. Catherine of Siena Church hall. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Ned’s memory may be made to:Stay At Home In Little Compton Inc., P.O. Box 353, Little Compton, RI 02837, https://www.stayathomeinlittlecompton.org/how-to-donate , Little Compton Fire Department, 60 Simmons Rd. Little Compton RI 02837 or Gary Sinise Foundation, P.O. Box 40726, Nashville, TN 37204, https://donate.garysinisefoundation.org/campaign/day-of-giving-2024/c586633

Arrangements by Fern Acres Funeral Home. To send condolences please visit, www.FernAcresFuneralHome.com.

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