Robert Mark Wagner (Mark) received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of Arizona in 1977 and a PhD in Astronomy from the Ohio State University in 1983.

Mark’s early work in astronomy centered on the study of black holes and white dwarfs. As a postdoctoral researcher, Mark worked in the Halley Watch project at Arizona State University when Halley’s Comet passed within view of the Earth in 1986.

Mark then went to work with Ohio State at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he spent many nights observing at the Perkins Telescope and was heavily involved in the operations of the MDM Observatory in southern Arizona. In 1998, the family moved to Tucson, Arizona when Mark began work on the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory (LBTO). He was with the project from its earliest phases and saw it develop from concept to construction to a fully operational observatory.

Telescopes and science were his passion. Mark worked with LBTO for the remainder of his life, attending numerous conferences around the world and publishing papers and posters with his colleagues. Recently, Mark and his colleagues discovered a nova that declined the fastest ever observed and were deep in research on lithium production and light echos from novae. Mark retained his interest in farming and was always keen to remain abreast of the latest status of the farms in Ohio. He was also passionate about military history, particularly the naval history of World War II. And baseball Mark was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the game and he and Wanda were avid fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians (Indians). Most of all, Mark loved being with his family. His personal telescope often came out on clear nights and the family would often find themselves looking at comets, meteor showers, the Moon and rings of Saturn. He loved talking to his grandchildren about the stars and reading them astronomy children’s books. He and Wanda unwaveringly supported their children through all their endeavors, including a total of seven military deployments between all three. Mark was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, colleague, and friend and will be dearly missed by all those who were blessed to have him in their lives.

Mark is survived by his wife of 40 years, Wanda Corbet Wagner, three children and two granddaughters. He is also survived by his three siblings as well as numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.

He is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

The funeral was held on September 15, 2023.  A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 22nd, 2023 at 11:00 A.M. at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 1431 W. Magee Rd., Tucson, Arizona, followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Bellevue High School Alumni Association, the Bellevue Historical Society, Lowell Observatory, or the Wounded Warrior Project.