Douglas Stillman Wagner

He was born on March 8, 1953, in Wilmington, Delaware. Douglas, known as Doug to his loved ones, was a retired social worker and dedicated his 40-year career to enhancing human wellbeing, with a special focus on children. He was a leader for three decades with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, first in the Berkshires and later for Cape Cod and Islands. After he retired in 2013, he served for several years with the Justice Resource Institute as an in-home family therapist. Douglas had a passion for working with youth and their families and dedicated his life to helping people overcome personal and societal obstacles by providing support, resources, advocacy, and love.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Doug had many interests and hobbies. He was an avid painter and spent the last 15 years of his life exploring his artistic side. He also enjoyed music, cooking, walking, spending summer days on the dunes of Nauset’s Outer Beach and most of all, spending time with his granddaughters.

Douglas will be deeply missed by his surviving family members, including his sister, Barbara Wagner, and brother-in-law, Larry Devlin. He is also survived by his two daughters and their families: Patience Lucinda Jenkins, and son-in-law, Seth Jenkins, along with his granddaughter, Lillian Jenkins; and Emily Lucinda Wagner, and son-in-law, Daniel Dembkowksi Wagner, as well as his granddaughters, Barbara Oak Wagner and Lucinda Sky Dembkowski Wagner. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Lucinda Covel Wagner; his father, Robert Wagner; his mother, Ruth Madden Wagner; and his sister, Susan Wagner.

Douglas graduated from Mt Pleasant High School in 1971 and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Western New England College as well as a Master's degree in social work.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at the Nickerson Funeral Home, located at 77 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans. Family and friends are invited to join in remembering and celebrating his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that contributions be made to Cape Cod's local diaper bank, which provides essentials to parents of infants experiencing poverty on Cape Cod and the Islands. Additionally, his family would like to draw attention to the important work of the Alzheimer's Family Support Center in Brewster, which provides invaluable research-based and community-centered services free of charge. To learn more, please visit alzfamilysupport.org