Tom David Wagster

Tom David Wagster, Jr. (David), died July 26, 2022, in Counce, Tennessee, where he had lived for 13 years. He was 75.

He was preceded in death by his parents Tom David Wagster, Sr. and Mildred Walker Wagster; and brother John Clark Wagster who died in infancy.

David is survived by his son, John David Wagster, his daughter-in-law Caitlin Jo Ramsey, and granddaughter Haven Jo Wagster all of Franklin, Tennessee; two sisters Jane Wagster Edwards (husband Mickey) of Jackson, Tennessee, and Molly Victoria Wagster (husband Ned Myers) of Baltimore, Maryland; two brothers Frank Walker Wagster (wife Cindy) of Jackson, Tennessee, and Larry Robert (Bert) Wagster of League City, Texas; five nieces and nephews; and twenty-five cousins.

Born in Jackson, Tennessee, David attended Jackson High School and graduated from Lambuth College with a B.S. in Chemistry. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio where he served as a Medic. After returning to Tennessee briefly, he spent his professional career in the oil manufacturing industry, first with Texstar in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by Farmland Industries in Kansas City, Missouri, and then spent 25 years as a Chemist for Citgo in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was instrumental in setting standards for engine oils and served as Secretary of the ASTM Two-Stroke Cycle Gasoline Engine Oils committee and as part of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) during this time at Citgo. His work frequently took him to far-flung places including Japan and France. After retiring from Citgo in 2009, David moved to Counce, TN and continued to work in the industry at Spectrum in Selmer, TN before retiring again in 2014.

David was an avid and accomplished fisherman whose hobby took him far and wide with family, friends, and business associates, including deep sea fishing expeditions off the Florida Keys and in Alaska. Family and friends were the beneficiaries of his hobby and often would receive shipments of halibut, flounder, and salmon he caught. He spent many “local” hours fishing and swapping stories and reminiscing with uncles John E. Walker (now deceased) of Bethel Springs, Tennessee, and H. Dale Walker of Corinth, Mississippi. With his graying hair and white beard, he often played Santa Claus at work events, eventually owning a full Santa Claus suit for the occasions. He continued to be Santa Claus in real life, showering his family with toys and gifts each year. He was a regular at R&B’s in Counce for breakfast with friends where he often arrived with a fresh baked dessert or quiche. His other hobbies were gardening and reading. David was a devoted son, brother, father, and grandfather. He was well loved by all his family.

The family will hold a visitation on Saturday August 20, 2022, from 9 – 11 AM, followed by a memorial service at 11 AM at Shackelford Funeral Directors of Selmer, TN with Reverend Drew Brewer officiating.
The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their favorite charity or to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) (https://donations.nfwf.org) in David’s name.