Kenneth Van Wagner

Kenneth Van Wagner passed away peacefully on January 29, 2025, at his home in Mesa, Arizona, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on September 22, 1942, in Ballston Spa, New York.

He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 44 years, Patti (Warren) Van Wagner; four children from his first marriage to Sandra (Kelly) Peters: Tammy (Michael), Bryan (Tuli), Michelle, and Karen (Chris); grandchildren Brianna, James, Stephanie, Andres, Bradley, and Lexi; as well as nieces and nephews, William, Nicki, Heidi, Corey, and Kenneth. He was predeceased by his parents, Nicholas and Pansy (Stockwell) Van Wagner; his sister Kathryn Courville; his beloved dogs Shelley, Tanzey, Pixie, and Bleu; and his horse, Memory.

After attending Schuylerville High School, Ken served in the U.S. Navy. He later earned an engineering degree from Hudson Valley Community College (which he proudly referred to as “Harvard on the Hudson”), launching a 35-year career working on roads and bridges for Cahn Engineering, Greiner Engineering, and DA Collins/Kubricky.

Ken and Patti shared a love for traveling, with some of their favorite destinations being Maine, Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska. In 2002, they moved to Mesa, Arizona, fulfilling a lifelong dream for Ken. While in Arizona, he enjoyed long walks and hikes with Patti and loved riding his horse, Memory, in the desert. He also relished driving up challenging mountain roads and capturing photographs of everything that caught his eye.

If you knew Ken, you knew him with a camera always around his neck. He viewed the world through that lens, capturing tens of thousands of slides (yes, slides) and digital images of the things he loved: family, friends, dogs, cats, barn horses, wild horses, birds, flowers, sunsets, mountains, and even bridges and roads from his job sites. He found beauty in everything and couldn’t resist capturing it. His passion for getting the perfect shot—whether it was the perfect lighting, angle, or composition—was unwavering. He would stop at almost nothing to get that shot.

As spring approaches, we will be reminded of Ken with every new bud on a tree, every hummingbird that catches our eye, and every flower that blooms. If you see a beautiful sunset on your way home, pull over and admire it as he would have. But perhaps refrain from climbing over barriers or standing in the middle of the road to get the perfect shot, as he often did.

Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.