Robert Louis Wagner

Bob was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 23, 1938 to Katherine (Katy) and Louis (Louie) Wagner. He is survived by his wife, Ellan in Mesa, AZ and his brother Eddie in Elgin, S.C. His only child, Robert Wesley passed away in 2016.

Bob attended Beech Grove High School in Beech Grove, Indiana from 1951 to 1956 graduating as Valedictorian. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Technical Writing from Purdue University in 1960 and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1973. He was also a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas and Arizona.

Bob was active in several professional societies having held leadership positions at the local, state and national levels. He was President of the Arizona Society of Professional Engineers in 2000 and served on the Board of Directors of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He was also a member of the American Public Works Association and The Society of American Military Engineers.

Following graduation from Purdue in 1960 Bob was part of a family business involved in the manufacturing of construction materials, general contracting and sales of pre-engineered buildings for six years. During those six years Bob was a member of the Army Reserves and rose from the rank of Private to Second Lieutenant. With the outbreak of the war in Vietnam Bob volunteered for active duty in 1966.

In 1985, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Corps of Engineers, having risen from the rank of Private. During his military career, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Combat Engineer officer, two assignments in the command groups of the Corps’ Fort Worth, Texas and Los Angeles, California Districts, two times as Public Works Director for Army installations in both Europe and United States and various other military troop leadership jobs. He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. Military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (4 times), the Meritorious Service Medal (2 times), the Air Medal and the Army Commendation Medal (3 times).

He retired as City Administrator of the City of Yuma, Arizona in January 2005 following a fifteen-year career with the City as City Administrator, City Engineer and Public Works Director. Mr. Wagner began work with the City in 1990 following a five-year stint as Project Manager with Morrison Knudsen (MK) Services Corporation. He held key positions with MK at both Redstone Arsenal, Alabama and Fallon Naval Air Station, Nevada where he supervised contracts providing full-service Operations and Support Services for these important military bases.

He worked part-time for Ayres Associates, an Engineering consulting firm, with an office in Arizona, which Bob helped establish from 2005 until 2015.

He and Ellan have resided in Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona from 2005 until the present.

Bob always felt that the highlight of his life was the years spent with his beloved wife Ellan and son Rob.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mariposagardens.com for the Wagner family.