Dr. Robert Benton Wagner, 85, of Rockville, MD passed away at home from Parkinson's disease on October 8, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of 56 years of Sylvia Wagner, cherished father of Lesley Wagner and David Wagner (Rhonda), respected brother-in-law to Paul Neuwirth (Delaney), adored uncle to his nephews Stephen Neuwirth (Nataly), Jim Neuwirth (Sandra), Richard Neuwirth (Kate), Todd Kirshner, and nieces Jan Stanton Holz (Rick) and Jill Kirshner, and brother of the late Barbara Kirshner. Dr. Wagner was born and raised in Memphis, TN, son of Ethelynd and Samuel Wagner. He attended college at Vanderbilt University but took a hiatus from his studies, joining the United States Air Force in which he served as a navigator for an air refueling squadron. After his stint in the Air Force, he returned to college at Memphis State University. During this time, he became a competitive bowler and, in 1959, was the city champion of Memphis. His highest score was 297, three pins away from a perfect game. Dr. Wagner graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1963. After residencies specializing in thoracic surgery, he settled in Maryland and opened a private practice in that field. Notably, Dr. Wagner was not only a practitioner at area hospitals but he also conducted extensive research, publishing over 40 articles in scholarly medical journals, including, among his favorites, a poem entitled "On Golden Crown", detailing the unusual case of a 72-year-old married patient who had swallowed a foreign object (the patient's girlfriend's dental crown) that had lodged in the patient's lung. Dr. Wagner retired from practice in 2005 after 42 years in medicine. Dr. Wagner was often referred to as a modern Renaissance man. He was an avid painter, poet, reader, medical historian, world traveler, golfer, his children's soccer groupie, and lover of corny jokes. Dr. Wagner's family wants to give special thanks to Landing Saye for his compassion, perseverance and good nature in helping Dr. Wagner's last years be comfortable and enjoyable. Landing began as a magnificent caregiver and ended up as a member of the family. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October, 10, 2018 at 11 a.m. at Washington Hebrew Congregation, 3935 Macomb Street NW, Washington, DC 20016, with interment to follow at Garden of Remembrance, Clarksburg, MD. Family will be observing Shiva at the Wagner home Wednesday and Thursday, with Minyan at 7 p.m. Contributions in his memory can be made to the Parkinson's Foundation (PFNCA) 8830 Cameron Street #201, Silver Spring, MD 20910, JSSA Hospice, 6123 Montrose Road, Rockville, MD 20852, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.