A Tribute to my Father, Richard B. Wagner, JD, CFP®
From the Dinner Table to the Nazrudin Circle

August, 2017

 

Writing this tribute to my dad is difficult. I am extremely lucky to have known the profound man who was my father intimately, across many spectrums of his life. Since his passing, I’ve been grappling with how to package his essence into a single piece—especially knowing that many of you reading this loved him, too.

 

To make the dynamics more intense, I am currently just weeks away from bringing twin boys into this world to join our five-year-old son. We found out we were having two more children, rather than one, only a week before Dad spoke his last words.

 

The Cornerstone: Family and Philosophy

 

Dad was always passionate about family. As a little girl, I knew that although his work was deeply important to him, he would always be there for us. And he was. Family dinner was a mainstay in our home—a cornerstone of how I knew him. At that table, we talked, laughed, and shared.

 

As I grew worldlier, Dad stayed right with me. He encouraged me to reach for my best self and to let go of what ultimately wouldn’t matter. He supported me wholeheartedly as I traveled the world and earned my (somewhat impractical) degree in Socio-Philosophy. He taught me to align my intentions and actions with a higher purpose.

 

Fittingly, Dad had an amazing knack for turning any conversation toward money. While I didn't always understand the mechanics of investment or international markets, we connected deeply on what money dynamics mean to people on a personal level. These late-night explorations prepped my brother and me for our own professional paths, while my mother—a brilliant architect—watched us with rolled eyes, a loving heart, and other interests explore the intersection of philosophy, money, and humanity.

 

From the Dinner Table to the Nazrudin Circle

 

It has been one of the great honors of my life to expand this connection from the dinner table to the Nazrudin Circle. (The Nazrudin Project is a think tank for groundbreaking financial professionals to explore "money and the fearsome forces it generates"—a frequent Dick Wagnerism).

 

I always knew my dad was great, but I had no sense of the reach of his influence until people sought me out to tell me about his impact upon them, personally. It’s been moving! Dad had a way of uncovering truths and showing ways forward. He was infamous for nodding off in the middle of a conference talk, only to open his eyes, raise a finger, and espouse an offhanded insight that would blow the room away. He was always up-leveling the questions to bring them closer to being profoundly great.

 

"The Test"

 

But money wasn't all Dad was about. If you didn't know, you need to know about "The Test." Dad loved rock and roll. Whenever a song came on, he would say, "Quick?" That meant: What song is this and who’s playing it? My brother and I were warned that we had to pass "The Test" before we could get a driver’s license. There was even a final oral section on the day I got my permit. The winning question: What was Lou Reed’s first band? (Answer: The Velvet Underground). My husband also had to pass "The Test" before receiving Dad's full blessing.

 

Carrying the Torch

 

I consider myself particularly lucky because I think like my dad—though very much with a "Natalie twist." With a knack for thinking abstractly and connecting distant dots, we were birds of a feather. My work as a Finologist (the term Dad coined for the study of our internal relationship with money) is a direct part of his legacy.

 

While I come from a humanitarian background and Dad came from religion and law, my work as a Money Wellness Coach is the living embodiment of his vision. My brother, Jake Wagner, has also taken up the torch, supporting the profession as a specialized digital marketer.

 

As I sit here with two children in my belly who will never meet their grandfather, I am deeply saddened. But when I consider the work he did, his 45-year marriage, and the fact that his oldest grandson already thinks just like him, I believe my father finished well.

 

In carrying forward our mutual mission to make the world a better place as Finologists and financial guides, I give allegiance to his vision. As his daughter and a mother carrying forward his line, I honor him and give life to his life.

 

To my father, Richard B. Wagner, JD, CFP®

 

Natalie WagnerWillis, Finologist