WAGNER, Reverend Deborah Marianne
Reverend Deborah Marianne Wagner, 86, of Allentown, passed away Saturday, March 11, 2023 in Phoebe- Allentown. She was the wife of Reverend Doctor Walter H. Wagner. They would have been married for 65 years this August. Deborah was born in Baltimore, Maryland a daughter of the late Charles John and Dorothy Rosa (Rau) Kus. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree for The College of Notre Dame of Maryland where she graduated cum laude, her Master of Science in Library Science Services from Rutgers University, her Master of Arts from the Princeton Theological Seminary and her Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary. Deborah was a certified senior librarian in both New Jersey and California. She was employed as the head librarian for the Public Library of Thousand Oaks, CA, circulation librarian for the Upsala College, East Orange, NJ, children’s librarian for the East Orange Free Public Library, Westfield, NJ and as a librarian for Muhlenberg College, Moravian College and the Cherry Hill Public Library. She served as a classroom aide for the Allentown School District. Pastor Wagner was ordained in 1996 by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and became a Certified Ministry Associate in 1988. She served the Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Allentown from 1996 – 2002. She served also as pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Summit Hill and as a chaplain at Cedarbrook Nursing Home, Fountain Hill before retiring. Deborah was a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Allentown. She served on the boards of the Eastern Pennsylvania Church and Synagogue Library Association, Ecumenical Committee for Continuing Education of Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Northeastern PA Synod Committee on Justice and Peace (ELCA) and as a consultant for the Northeastern PA Synod Learning Ministries Team (ELCA). She was a choir member and educational program participant for the St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Bethlehem. Deborah was a certified spiritual director and a member of the Valley Community Orchestra where she played the violin.
Survivors: Husband; son Dr. Nathan Samuel Wagner and his wife Maria of Montrose, CO.
Services: A memorial service to celebrate Reverend Wagner’s life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, March 22 nd in the Christ Lutheran Church 1245 Hamilton Street, Allentown. Friends and family may call from 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. Wednesday in the church. A reception will follow the service in the church. Arrangement by Stephens Funeral Home, Inc., Allentown. www.stephensfuneral.com.
Contributions: Deborah M. Wagner Scholarship Fund College of Notre Dame of Maryland 4701 North Charles St., Baltimore MD 21210 or The Respect Graduate School 2200 Industrial Drive, Bethlehem PA 18107 or Christ Lutheran Church, 18102.