Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 03:36:50 :
Independent Journal
Monday, September 22, 1980
Page 4
HAROLD WAGNER
Harold “Hal” Wagner, manager of the Rafael Racquet Club, died Sunday while playing tennis, the game that was a career for him. He was 60.
Wagner collapsed on the court shortly before 7 p.m. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful although paramedics took him to the Ross Hospital emergency room. The Marin County coroner’s office reported that he had no history of heart trouble, the apparent cause of death.
Wagner was born and reared in San Francisco and once recalled that he started playing tennis because it was an inexpensive pastime for neighborhood youngsters. “We never had to buy any balls – we just scrounged old ones from the adults.” By high school, he was a strong amateur competitor in senior tournaments.
He majored in physical education at San Francisco State College, graduating just as World War II began. Wagner started as an infantryman, became a paratrooper, then transferred to the Army Air Corps. He spent the last six months of his four-year service stint playing exhibition tennis for the military Special Services.
In India, Wagner met a tennis pro who convinced him to also become a pro. In 1947, he started teaching the game at the Mill Valley Tennis Club.
He came to the Rafael Racquet Club as manager and part owner in 1960, and remained as manager after the club changed ownership. In addition, Wagner was involved in founding other tennis facilities in Marin.
Although tennis was his major interest – to the point that he once had auto license plates reading 10SNE1 (tennis anyone?) – Wagner also was fond of golf.
He overcame crippling arthritis seven years ago by having a hip joint replaced with metal and plastic, and quickly resumed his tennis.
The funeral is pending at Monte’s Mission Chapel in San Rafael.
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Another obituary appeared in the Sept. 23 paper. It adds that Hal’s service would be held Friday at 8 p.m. at the San Rafael First Presbyterian Church. He was survived by his wife, Joan Wagner; two sons, Mark Wagner of Salt Lake City and William McGee of Terra Linda; six daughters, Kay Viale of Campbell, Lynn Wagner of Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz County, Ann Wagner of Alameda, Lucy McGee of Davis, Kathy McGee of Terra Linda and Elizabeth McGee of Greenbrae; and two grandchildren.
Interment was at Mount Tamalpais Cemetery. Memorial contributions preferred to the San Francisco Special Olympics, care of Jan Gloe, registrar, McLaren Lodge, Golden Gate Park, Fell and Stanyan streets, San Francisco 94117.
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