Betty Irene Wagner passed peacefully at the age of 84 on May 20, 2023 at the Thomas Perciak Family Residential Hospice. Betty was born on October 5, 1938 in Utahville Pennsylvania to Frank Lumanick and Katherine Lumanick (Poshedley). She relocated from her family farm to Cleveland, Ohio in 1952. Betty attended East High School, where she was a member of the national honors society. She fell in love with and married James Phillip Wagner, who also was from a small coal town in Pennsylvania. Betty worked as an administrative assistant for White Motors and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, before being employed many years as a school secretary at various Parma City Schools.
Betty enjoyed dancing, reading, spending time in her garden, cooking and baking, and creating gifts, such as wicker baskets and bouquets, for her family and friends. She attained ‘expert’ status in the fields of thrift store shopping and coupon clipping! Betty liked to volunteer at the Redeemer Crisis Center, where she worked many years helping the homeless, disabled, and poor. But most of all, she loved being with her family and friends. She had the most beautiful smile, and she was genuine and kind.
She is preceded by her parents, by her husband, James of 56 years, and by her son, Mark. Betty will be missed by all those who knew her, but especially by her sisters, Barbara Terbanc and Bonnie Newman, by her sons, James (Donna), Jeffrey (Casimira), and Michael (Cynthia), daughter-in-law Kimberly Wagner, by her grandchildren, Jimmy and Luke, and by her nephews Richard, David, and Kristofor.
All of us will keep many wonderful memories of Betty’s thrift store finds, the smell of baking bread in her kitchen, her copious distribution of ‘half-off’ coupons to us, the care packages she would leave on our front doors overnight, and her uncanny driving skills. But most of all, we will miss her loving presence.
The family would like to thank the staff and friends at Generations Senior Living in Strongsville Ohio. We would also like to thank the compassionate providers at Southwest General Hospital. As per Betty’s request, no funeral or memorial service will be held. A private celebration of life will occur in the future. Betty contributed regularly to organizations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the ACLU, Habitat for Humanity, The Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, and The Animal Protective League. Please consider a donation in Betty’s name to any of these organizations or to the Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice.