Edward Duer Wagner Jr.
1929-2020
From the Greenwood Obituary:
Edward Duer Wagner, Jr., passed away peacefully of natural causes at his home in Fort Worth with his loving wife and family on August 1, 2020. He was 90 years old.
Edward Duer Wagner, Jr., was a native Texan born in Fort Worth on December 21, 1929. The only child of Edwin Duer Wagner and Ruth Smith Wagner, he attended elementary school at North Hi Mount, where he proudly served as Captain of the Patrol Crossing Guard. He graduated from Arlington Heights High School in the Class of 1947. Duer then achieved the lifelong dream of his father (lovingly called Moose) by attending college at the University of Texas at Austin. From that point on, Duer’s life was forever linked to UT through his love of Longhorn football, the associated traditions and school spirit. Everyone who knew him knew his blood was orange. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and valued many friendships that became lifelong bonds.
Upon graduation from UT, Duer accepted a position with his father’s retail paint business, but soon decided to take a risk and pursue a career in oil and gas, starting out as a roughneck on a drilling rig. While working in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Duer had an accident and lost four fingers on his left hand. As Duer’s children were growing up, they thought all adult men had just six fingers. Returning to Fort Worth, he landed a job as a landman with Meeker Oil and went on to become a successful oil and gas man himself. He founded an exploration company with a focus on the Texas Gulf Coast and eventually owned a drilling company, a sucker rod manufacturing company and other interests in oil service companies.
Duer met the love of his life, Genevieve Campbell, of Shreveport, Louisiana, whom he married on September 7, 1956. The couple had three children and were lifelong residents of Fort Worth. Most who knew Duer lovingly referred to him as Crow.
One of Crow’s many passions was flying. He loved airplanes. He was a pilot who owned numerous planes throughout his lifetime. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner loved to travel together. They enjoyed spending time at their private ranches in Wyoming and Cresson, Texas, where they hosted numerous family gatherings and visiting friends from near and far. Crow was passionate about his dogs. Genevieve and he owned many over the years, and he named three of his companies after his dogs Jacque, Bruno and Tsar. Some of Crow’s other favorite pastimes were hunting for quail, dove, and duck, and fly-fishing for trout.
Duer was known for his witty personality, his powerful storytelling, and his innate ability to make people laugh. He had the gift of putting people at ease, and people adored his company. His wife of 63 years, Genevieve, affectionately described him as a good husband, a loyal man, and a dynamic individual.
Duer Wagner Jr. is survived by his wife, Genevieve, his son, Duer Wagner III and his partner Angela Stewman Maddox, daughter Annette “Sissy” Wagner Roberts, his son-in-law Grady Roberts and their children Charles, Hailey, William and Judy. He is also survived by son Bryan and daughter-in-law Allison, and their children Caroline, Campbell, Allie, Eliza and Lauren, and by his caregivers, Nora, Marisa, Blanca, Veronica, Yadira and Todd.
Graveside: 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 6, 2020, at Greenwood Memorial Park, with Dr. Tim Rost officiating.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Crow’s favorite charity, Paralyzed Veterans of America at www.pva.org.