Paul Wagner, age 47, passed away on Friday, December 26, 2014.

Paul was a brilliant lifelong student of the sciences who constantly strived to be his best.  He was a gentle man with a great sense of humor and an avid, enthusiastic lover of the movies.  Paul was always generous with his time and many talents, teaching and sharing with anyone that needed a helping hand.  He was a loving partner and friend.

Paul had a great passion for the fields of geology and geography.  He attended Western Illinois University where he graduated with his B.S. in Geology and then on to the University of Montana where he obtained his Masters in Geography.  During these years Paul met some of his closest lifelong friends that held a very special place in his heart, many of them were from the WIU class of 1992 Field Camp crew.

Paul is survived by his wife, Tammy Booth, and family members; Sharon Nickel (mother), Dawn and Steve Herrmann (sister and brother-in-law), Dave and Mary Booth (in-laws) and Shane and Stacey Booth (brother-in-law and sister-in-law).  He was blessed with four beautiful nieces and nephews; Claire, Alice, Drew and Zach.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund in his name has been set up to support the Department of Geology at Western Illinois University.  Contributions can be made in Paul’s memory to the Department of Geology (choose Geology under academic programs and add Paul’s name in the comment section): https://www.wiu.com/giving/purchase.asp

A celebration of Paul’s life will be held in the spring in Minneapolis, Minnesota.