Marvin Wagner, influential surgeon who taught gross anatomy to generations, dies at 99

To his large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Marvin Wagner was "Papa Waggie."

To generations of first-year doctors-to-be, he was Professor Wagner, instructor of gross anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

And to generations of patients and staff, he was Dr. Wagner, the Operating Room General, one of the first vascular surgeons in town, and the kind of doctor who called weeks after surgery to see how you were doing.

On Thanksgiving Day, Wagner died of natural causes at his home in Fox Point, where he'd lived for 65 of his 99 years.

In addition to his work as a teacher and surgeon, Wagner served as president of St. Michael's Hospital and became a skilled illustrator of human anatomy. He authored the 1982 textbook "Segmental Anatomy: Applications to Clinical Medicine." He ran a couple of miles a day and enjoyed chess, checkers and golf.

Wagner was raised on the west side of Milwaukee. His father, Benjamin Wagner, sold caps.

Marvin Wagner went to Washington High School, where he met the woman who would become his wife of 74 years, Shirley.

"They dated for a very long time," said their daughter, Terry Goodman. "My mom worked in my grandpa's grocery store to put Marvin through college and medical school."

Marvin Wagner graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin, known at that time as Marquette University Medical School.

"He had terrific hands," said his grandson, Benjamin Wagner. "I think he liked the balance of certainty with compassion and the ability to heal. He liked to make people's lives better every day, whether it be in the classroom or on the operating table."

Jay Goodman, 73, was one of thousands of doctors to take Wagner's class in gross anatomy during the more than 60 years in which he taught the rite of passage for all first-year medical students.

"I took the class 52 years ago. He was very entertaining, an excellent artist," Goodman said. "He'd draw diagrams in chalk on the blackboard. He probably taught 12,000 to 15,000 physicians in Wisconsin."

Goodman went on to practice medicine with Wagner for 35 years at hospitals in the Wheaton Franciscan and Ascension health care system.

Wagner was also a family man through and through.

"He was very much the patriarch, who knew he must defer to the matriarch — she passed away three years ago," said grandson Benjamin Wagner.

As a grandparent, he attended tennis matches and hockey games, helped with science fair projects and sent letters to his grandchildren at college.

"He'd make you feel like you were the favorite one, but he made everyone feel like that," said granddaughter Danielle Strauss.

His favorite place to be was with his family, gathered around the dining room table for Sunday dinner.

"Dr. Wagner certainly knew how the human heart works ... in profound ways," said Cheryl L. Stucky, who for years worked in the office next door to Wagner's at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She now holds the position named for him: Marvin Wagner Endowed Professor in Cell Biology.

"He was one of the kindest people I have met in my entire life, and that goes way beyond the physiology or anatomy of the human heart," Stucky said. "I don't think God makes all that many individuals like that."

He is survived by three children: Terry Goodman, Jeffrey Wagner and Penny Anixter; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A private graveside family funeral will be held. A celebration of life will be announced soon.

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