Carl L. Wagner

Carl L. Wagner, age 91, of Peterborough NH, passed away peacefully at RiverMead on November 23, 2020, in the presence of his loving wife. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on December 20, 1928, the son of Adelaide (Henschen) and Carl Wagner.

Raised with his younger sister Janet, Carl enjoyed the companionship of his many cousins, especially during summers spent on the Magothy River. The extensive Henschen (Adelaide's) family worshipped at Third English Lutheran Church in Baltimore. It was at this church that Carl met Dorothy Abbott, his wife of 66 years.

As a young boy, Carl attended Baltimore public schools, riding his bike as there were no school buses in the city. He graduated from Polytechnic High School and continued his education at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Graduating in 1952 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he was employed by the Nav41 Ordinance Lab in White Oak, MD. While there he had a distinguished engineering career designing and testing underwater ordinance. His 8-year career with the Navy was interrupted by 2 years of service with the U.S. Army. While serving at Fort Bliss in Texas, he taught celestial navigation at White Sands, NM.

In 1960, Carl went from underwater design to space design, when he joined NASA at Goddard Space Flight center in Greenbelt, MD. His early contributions included pioneering in Goddard' s cooperative space programs. He was Systems Manager for the first USA - United Kingdom spacecraft Ariel-1, and then Project Manager for several USA- German Cooperative Aeronomy spacecraft Aeros A & B. Six more successful scientific spacecraft were launched. Several of those were with the University of Rome.

In 1985, after a year of service as Acting Chief of NASA HQ Flight program branch, Carl joined the Goddard Systems Review Office. Using his unique combination of engineering and management skills, he was responsible for conducting independent design review for all of Goddard's spacecraft and vehicle missions. During his 35 years at Goddard, Carl contributed significantly to the success of many missions, including the Gamma Ray Observatory, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, tracking and data relay satellites, the Hubble First Servicing Mission, and many expendable launch vehicle missions.

Being a devoted family man he often took Dorothy and his four children to Cape Kennedy to see rocket and shuttle launches.

After he retired in 1995, Carl directed his time to service in the community, serving as church treasurer, delivering Meals on Wheels, and restoring the 100-year-old family home on Kent Island, MD. Carl loved to travel and learned to scuba dive, sail, and zip-line. He was a gentle Granddad, highlighting each child's success, but never showing favorites, and always offering praise and encouragement fairly.

His granddaughter Lindsay said, "His cunning sharp wit was second to none and his comedic timing impeccable. He'd be the first to solve a riddle and could easily explain complicated math without making you feel less for not having the answer."

Carl's grandson, Todd, said, "His attention to detail, like any good engineer, while teaching you a life skill, was always appreciated. Most impressively, he showed his grandkids how to prioritize family."

Joanna, in a poem, said, "Granddad, I love you dearly, and it's plain to see, you're a blessing to everyone, but especially to me."

In 2006, Carl, Dorothy, and Bertha Abbott (Dorothy's mom), moved to Peterborough, New Hampshire to join their family, becoming a four-generation household. The family worshipped together at All Saints' Episcopal Church, and became active in the church's community suppers, preparing and serving meals every week.

Carl is survived by his wife Dorothy; four children: Carl III, Stephen, Trac (Lepine), and Patricia (Poe); two beloved daughters in law and two sons in law; ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be held in the spring at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Peterborough, NH.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Carl's name to All Saints' Church in support of community suppers.