Kenneth “Kenny” George Wagner of Ocala, FL passed away on November 3, 2026. He was surrounded by family. 

Kenny spent his entire life helping people. Born and raised in New York by parents George and Alice Wagner, Kenny started his career in public service briefly as a NYPD officer before joining the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) in July 1983, where he stayed until his retirement in August 2022. His heroic actions are directly responsible for saving so many lives, and his dedication was unwavered–he was deployed to southern Florida for hurraine relief after Hurraine Andrew, was there for the 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center, and was a hero and survivor of 9/11, having been there the moment the towers fell and for weeks afterwards for search and rescue. Even after his retirement from the FDNY, he never stopped being a firefighter; Kenny joined the volunteer fire department of Pleasantville, NY when he was only in high school and celebrated his 50th year of volunteer service in 2025, and also volunteered for Georgia Fire Department in Georgia, VT. When he was not actively fighting fires, he designed fire apparatuses all across the country, including as an employee of Homeland Security.

Kenny was well known for being a model railroad enthusiast, his house being absolutely filled with model Lionel trains. He enjoyed skiing the mountains of Vermont during the winter, and was a huge lover of dogs. He had a tendency to stop by any firehouse he drove past and talk shop with the firefighters and take photos of freight trains whenever he had the opportunity.

Kenny is survived by his family: his wife, Josephine Cardone Wagner; his mother, Alice Wagner; his brother, Ronald Wood; his sister, Penny Marcario; his daughters Lena and Carol Wagner; his son, Anthony Vargas; his son-in-law, Matthew Wolf; and his daughter-in-law, Yvone Ao. He was preceded in death by his father, George Wagner.

Kenny will be remembered and celebrated for his heroicism and unwavering dedication to helping others. His service will forever be honored by family, friends, and all the lives he touched.