Betty Joy Wagner

Betty Joy Wagner, 72, Kansas City, MO, passed away on December 26, 2023.  A celebration of her life will take place on Friday, January 5, at Longview Funeral Home, 12700 SE Raytown Road, starting with a visitation at 1:30pm and service at 2:00pm, followed by a committal at Longview Cemetery.  A reception will be held at 3pm at Tanners at Red Bridge, 11134 Holmes Road, KCMO.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Wayside Waifs, Theatre for Young America, or the Democratic Party.

Betty was born on November 11, 1951 in Fremont, Nebraska to George Herman and Alice (Havekost) Suhr. She was a graduate of Hooper High School and Kearney State College. She married Bruce Lee Wagner on August 21, 1971.  Betty worked as an administrative assistant for various companies including Theatre for Young America, Hewlett Packard, and the Barstow School, and also worked in Human Resources for Black and Veatch.  After her retirement, she enjoyed gardening, birdwatching, and spending time with her grandchildren, especially when they were infants.

Betty was active politically as a proud member of the Democratic Party; she always participated in state and federal elections and felt that to live in society you had an obligation to exercise the right to vote and to speak out when injustice occurred, especially to those who didn’t have the means to fight back.  She hoped for a better tomorrow: if we band together and meet adversity together, it can and will happen.  Betty felt very strongly about supporting other organizations including Wayside Waifs, women’s rights, social justice and LGBTQ rights.

Betty is survived by her husband, Bruce, of 52 years; daughter, Allison Raven (husband, Jamie); son, David Wagner; grandchildren:  Jackson, Truman, and Miles; a sister, Barb Panning (husband, Glen); Her father and mother-in-law Ralph and Janine Wagner; special neighbors, Jan and Lisa; and nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.