Tom Wagner, 65, of Pierre, SD, died Thursday, May 12, 2022 on his land that he loved.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Thursday, May 19th at Lutheran Memorial Church in Pierre with the family greeting visitors one hour prior to the services. Committal services will be held at 11:30am on Friday, May 20th at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Parkston, SD. For those unable to attend the services they will be live streamed in the box below the day of his service.

Thomas James Wagner was born on December 11, 1956 in Parkston, SD to Joseph and Esther (Huenefeld) Wagner. He was the second youngest of 8 children. He attended school in Parkston, where he was an avid wrestler. He went on to college at the University of SD at Springfield for a two-year program. He then transferred to Dakota State in Madison, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in accounting.
He had three children, Nathan, Caitlin (Caitie), and Cullen that he cared for dearly.

Shortly after college he started his career at St. Mary’s in 1980, where he worked as the Finance Director and CFO until he stepped down in 2015. He was known for walking the halls of the hospital with his cowboy boots and greeted everyone by their first name, no matter what department they worked in. He enjoyed coffee breaks where he would often talk with others about their families, listen to their concerns, and do his best to make them feel better and laugh.

Tom loved hunting and fishing and instilled that love in each of his children. He enjoyed sporting events, whether his children were participating or not, especially baseball, wrestling, basketball, football, and soccer. He was a true Governors sports fan and would often travel the state to watch events. He participated in trap shooting and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. When his kids were older, he built his house in the country and was proud of his handiwork.

He would do anything for his children, nephews, and nieces. He was always the first one to offer them advice, whether they asked for it or not. He enjoyed watching them grow up and never missed an opportunity to give pointers on dance recitals, shooting sports, showing animals at 4-H Achievement Days, and various house projects over the years.

Everyone knew they could count on Tom for help. He would often be the first one they would call and he would drop everything to lend a hand. Even though his stroke left him unable to talk, he would still smile, wave, give a thumbs up, and honk his horn – to get others’ attention and brighten their day. He kept supporting others up until his death.

Tom was independent, saw things through, and stubborn as heck. When Tom started having heart problems, he didn’t let it stop him. The first time he had a heart attack he was found on his work computer finishing reports before he was flown to Sioux Falls. Going forward with each major incident, the doctors would tell him that he only had a short while to live, but he proved them wrong time and time again. Throughout everything he always kept his positive outlook on life.

Tom is survived by his daughter Caitie (Bret) Graves, Ava sons: Nathan (Erica) Wagner Gunnar, Sutton; Cullen Wagner; Brothers Barry (Doris) Wagner; Gregg (Rita) Wagner; Mike (Kathy) Wagner; and Kevin (Lois) Wagner. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Esther; his brothers Bill and Peter; and his sister Karla Locken.

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