Belford Virginius Fefoe Wagner

Belford Virginius deFoe Wagner, 88, of Lexington, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, at his home. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the Historic Chapel at Grace Episcopal Church, where he was a member, by the Rev. Tom King. Burial will follow at a 2:30 p.m. graveside service at Fairview Cemetery in Warrenton. Mr. Wagner was born in Matthews, Va., on Feb. 11, 1918, to the Rev. Belford N. deFoe Wagner and Mary Lillian Ham Wagner. He spent most of his childhood in Warrenton. He attended Virginia Episcopal School, graduated from John Graham High School in Warrenton and also attended Shenandoah Music Conservatory in Dayton, Va. He retired in 1986 as owner of Wagner Music Co. in Lexington. Prior to that, he was the band director at Lexington Senior High School from 1948 to 1960. During this time he served a term as the president of the North Carolina Band Masters Association. Following this, he served as band director of the Lexington Community Band for several years. In his early teaching career he served as band director in Warrenton and Morganton. He previously served as choir director and as a member of the vestry of his church. He was preceded in death by his parents and his four sisters, Estelle Scott, Mary Smith, Grace Jones and Elizabeth Palmer. Surviving are his wife of 62 years, Bennie Tharrington Wagner of the home; two daughters, Bonnie Duckworth and her husband, Gene, and Belvie Gilleland and her husband, Bill, all of Lexington; and four grandchildren, Matthew Duckworth of Cary, Carrie Ingram and her husband, Allen, and Anna Gilleland, all of Lexington, and Catherine Gilleland of Wilmington. The family will receive visitors in the Commons Room of Grace Episcopal Church 30 minutes before the service begins Friday. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Grace Episcopal Church, 419 S. Main St., Lexington, NC 27292 or Hospice of Davidson County, P.O. Box 1941, Lexington, NC 27293.