Philip Wagner passed away peacefully on July 5, 2020. He was 88 years old. Philip was born on April 19, 1932 in New York City to John and Virginia Wagner. He had an older brother Mike, who predeceased him. Philip grew up in Kew Gardens in Queens. He graduated from Queens College and began a career in advertising at Gertz Department Store. Phil served as an ensign in the U.S. Coast Guard. He married Patricia Shannon on March 8, 1958 and they moved to San Diego, California. Phil had a successful career as an advertising executive for all the major department stores. His department store work took him and his family to Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Denver, Washington D.C. and finally, back to California, where he worked at The Broadway Department Store in Los Angeles. Phil had four children, Julie, Jill, Shannon and Elizabeth. Phil and Pat and their kids returned to San Diego, where he worked in the printing business and, for a brief time, owned The Cove Theater in La Jolla, California.
Phil retired in San Diego. He spent his retirement playing golf at Torrey Pines Golf Course and going to the races at Del Mar with Pat until her death in 1999. He is survived by his four daughters and seven grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, www.michaeljfox.org
