Karl Wagner

Karl Wagner, 89, passed away on Saturday, September 17, 2022, after a brief illness.  He was pre-deceased by his loving wife, Judith J. Wagner.

Karl was born in Csetény, Hungary on July 3, 1933, to his late parents Erno and Katalin (Weil). He had two older sisters, Adele and Klarra who he loved dearly.

Growing up in Hungary, Karl enjoyed spending his time on his grandmother’s farm and being surrounded by his loving extended family.

During World War II, Karl was able to survive the most horrific of situations, shaping him to become the resilient man he was today. In 1947, Karl began his lifelong career as a talented dental lab technician. His professional journey blossomed in Hungary at the age of 14 where he was employed by his neighbor's dental lab in order to help support his family.

In 1956, Karl emigrated to the U.S. to escape the violence of the Hungarian Revolution. While he didn’t yet speak English, he had nearly a decade of experience under his belt in the dental field and found a job right away at Brenner Dental Lab, a small full-service lab, in Danbury, CT.

In 1979, Karl proudly purchased the lab - achieving his “American Dream”- appropriately naming it Wagner Dental Lab. Wagner Dental Lab became one of the premier dental labs in the Greater Danbury Area, creating tens of thousands of dental prosthetics. Up until his death, Karl worked five days a week, seven hours a day, and enjoyed fabricating dentures from start to finish.

In addition, he worked closely with the local hospital’s dental/teaching clinic. This included fabricating all of its removable cases, handling the clinic’s daily pickups and deliveries, and helping train five new dentists each year. The lab ran smoothly with Karl at the head, and his trusted lab technician of over 40 years, Phillip by his side.

In addition to his professional life, Karl enjoyed the arts. An avid painter, he would routinely visit art shows and galleries along with completing hundreds of oil paintings in his lifetime. His work has been displayed in numerous local outlets and he enjoyed sharing his passion with his family.

Karl also loved music, frequently attending live classical and jazz shows with his family and friends.

In addition, Hungarian cuisine was very important to Karl, and he passed down his recipes to his children and grandchildren.

Karl had also been a member of numerous local clubs and organizations and was even a Cub Scout den leader.

He would never miss a video chat with his friends and family, and made it a daily goal to walk 10,000 steps!

Karl leaves behind his children, Linda (James) and Gary (Scott), and grandchildren Ashley (David), Gregory (Montana), and Emily.

His great-grandchild, Mason, was born one week prior to his passing.

In addition, as a member of the Danbury area for over 60 years, he leaves behind many community members and colleagues whom he considered dear friends.

The family would like to thank the incredible ICU staff at Danbury hospital for the care they provided.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Heart Association.

Funeral services are private.

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