Richard Bryan “Rick” Wagner, 59, of Elizabethton, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at Sycamore Shoals Hospital.
Rick was born November 23, 1959 in Elizabethton to the late Gary L. and Janice Sue Oliver Wagner. Rick was a 1977 graduate of Elizabethton High School where he was on the Cyclone Football Team and was awarded the Bulldog Laws Award. He attended Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., and Carson-Newman College. He was a football coach with the Elizabethton Cyclones for over 30 years.
Rick was the Youth Minister at Lynn Valley Baptist Church, a Pre School Teacher’s Assistant at the Wandell Early Learning Center as well as a bus driver with the Elizabethton School System and the Elizabethton/Carter County Boys & Girls Club. He was a member of Lynn Valley Baptist Church. He loved to fish, play golf, play games, and spend time with family, friends, and his youth group.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his in-laws, Jack and Darlene Hampton, and a nephew, Chris Wagner.
Survivors include his wife, Becky Hampton Wagner; his children, Rachel, Michael and Rikki Wagner; a sister, Michelle (Mike) Wiggins; a brother, Greg “Mater” (Charlene) Wagner; an aunt and uncle, Joyce and Glenn Church; a nephew, Daniel Wagner; a great-nephew, Kaiden Wagner; cousins, David and Stephen Church; and a brother and sister-in-law, Todd and Christine Hampton.
A Celebration of Life service for Rick will be conducted at 7 p.m. Friday, July 26, in the Elizabethton High School Gymnasium with Mr. David Irick, minister, the Rev. Dennis Wilson and Mr. Eddie Pless officiating. Music will be provided by Teresa Range and Terry Wood. The graveside service and interment will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 27, in the Centerview Cemetery with the Rev. Dennis Wilson officiating. Active pallbearers, who are requested to assemble at Elizabethton High School at 6:50 p.m. Friday and also at the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, will be Roger Childers, Nikolai Simpson, Andy Naylor, Jason Hartley, Gene Fleenor, David Church, Stephen Church, Greg Tester, Mike Wilson and Richard VanHuss. Honorary pallbearers will be the Youth Group at Lynn Valley Baptist Church, Wandell Early Learning Center employees, employees at Elizabethton/Carter County Boys & Girls Club, Dave Shorter, Tony Hardin, Eddie Pless, Frank Faniola and John Bradley. The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday in the Elizabethton High School Gymnasium. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of Rick to the Lynn Valley Baptist Church Youth Group, 1367 Broad Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Family and friends will assemble at the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. Saturday to go to the cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at our website at www.memorialfcelizabethton.com.
Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Wagner family.