Tom Wagner

In memory of our dad, Tom Wagner, who passed away twenty-five years ago.  Tom was born in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on June 10, 1951, and passed away in Santa Barbara, California, on July 31, 1994.

Growing older, moving around a bit, and becoming a dad have helped me to gain a better perspective on my dad’s life and experiences.  I took the house on Hidden Valley for granted, but now think what it was like for him, having grown up in Wisconsin, to wake up in the winter and see the mountains and ocean.  I push my kids into the waves when we are in Santa Barbara, take them on hikes in the Rockies (that they mostly enjoy and I think he would have enjoyed), sometimes make them listen to my music when we are driving, and give them room to spread out their Legos.  I now think more about how young he was when he died, and not just how young we were. I am thankful for the time we did get to spend together and the imprint he left on my life. – Conor

Always missed, never forgotten. Twenty-five years on, your life continues to be an inspiration. It usually wasn’t what you said, but what you did and how you did it. Your work ethic, your sense of curiosity, your love of the outdoors, your embrace of the surreal, your humor, your innate sense of self that you shared with others. It was a life lead by example, and an example I follow more closely as I get older. – Miles