Peter Kraft Wagner
February 27, 1931 – July 22, 2011
Peter Wagner was a man of vision and creativity, who worked hard to see his dreams come true. He passed away unexpectedly at 80 years of age on July 22, 2011 in Healdsburg, CA. At the time of his death, he had finished writing the script and lyrics for an original military-themed musical comedy based on Custer’s Last Stand, launched a new game – Cargo Runners for the iPad – soon to be released as a board game in the fall, and had plans to commercially produce a family recipe for Aunt Aggie’s Tomato Relish.
He was born in Glen Ridge, NJ, the youngest of four children born to Whitney Allen Wagner and Elise Marie Kraft. Peter graduated from Dartmouth College in 1953 with a degree in English, and was known for numerous athletic achievements. He entered the US Marine Corps, and was honorably discharged with the rank of First Lieutenant. He was a salesman extraordinaire, beginning with the IBM Corp, he then went on to represent a number of leading sportswear apparel lines, e.g. Jantzen, White Stag, Catalina, and Duffel. Peter founded Segrets Sun Prints in the early 80’s, partnering with then artist, Sigrid Olsen. This concept later evolved into the popular Sigrid Olsen brand and was sold in 1999 to Liz Claiborne Inc.
Peter had a lifelong love of the ocean and all things nautical. He made his home in several coastal communities; Rockport, MA, Estero, FL, and Bainbridge Island, WA. He restored several wooden boats, cruising in the Whampoa all the way to Florida from Cape Ann. He spent many months in New Zealand designing and building a yacht, which he named the Silver Phantom. Under the umbrella of Puffin Marine, he designed lanterns, mailboxes, brass and wood items.
He enjoyed gardening, making every good thing “better”, playing tennis, sailing, reading, and crafting puns. His favorite saying was, “To thine own self be true”. He made it a point to get to know everyone in his path, and to see what made him or her tick. Peter was a quality seeker, who was tireless in his quest for the best.
He married Sally Peabody, an accomplished singer from Portland, OR, in 1955 and they had four children together: Jennifer (Warren) Hedgpeth, Geoffrey (Gretchen) Wagner, Gretchen Wagner, and Gwendolyn Butler. He remarried in 1980 to Lee McGee, a teacher in Rockport, MA.
He is also survived by his dear brother, Edward Wagner, of Port Ludlow, WA and predeceased by his sister Elise and brother Wesley. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren: Caroline (Josh) Fuller, Emily Jackson, Sean, Matthew, Rachel, Charlie, and Jacqueline and two great-grandchildren, Madeline and Samantha Fuller.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, August 14 at 2 pm, at the Beach Club in Port Ludlow, WA. Remembrances may be made to the Albertina Kerr Center in Portland, OR in the name of his daughter Gretchen Wagner.
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