<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1lB5zk_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1lB5zk_1Gul47Os00" width="1200" height="900" ><figcaption>Don Wagner at the piano in the Silver Creek Choir classroom.</figcaption></figure>Choir classes are never quiet: filled with laughter, chatter, and, of course, singing. However, there was always one calm, quiet presence seated at the piano. Don Wagner accompanied the Silver Creek choirs from 2023 to 2025. He was an extraordinary pianist, but what made him truly exceptional was the relationships he cultivated with his students. Don Wagner passed away peacefully on July 20, 2026, concluding a life filled with music, joy, and genuine connection.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1QuyM2_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1QuyM2_1Gul47Os00" width="1434" height="1080" ><figcaption>Don performing with Silver Creek’s Concert choir in 2024</figcaption></figure>Wagner’s work with the Silver Creek choirs expanded beyond the traditional role of an accompanist into a mentor.“I really loved seeing his connection with the students; his constant smile, constant engagement, and constant encouragement,” Jeremy Skelton, the Silver Creek choir director, said. “He was very welcoming to everyone who entered this environment…people felt like they had a safe place with Wagner.”Wagner was always there for the students, whether they wanted to talk about their day or something heavier.“Don was a truly amazing person,” Zachary Dominguez, a senior in Concert and Chamber choir, said. “During my junior year, I had a very rough patch in my life. He was one of the few people who listened, and instead of trying to find magic words to make everything feel better, or to distract me, he explained that what mattered was that I was still here, that he was happy for that, and would cherish it.”He was very good at reminding students that they were valued, whether they were struggling with mental health or considering quitting choir.“He was so encouraging and dedicated to keeping students engaged in choir,” Skelton said. “So if he was hearing that [a student] was thinking about leaving…he would say ‘Oh, but if you’re not here, what am I going to do then?’ or remind them ‘This is a place where you belong.’”The knowledge that someone is looking out for them can offer a very valuable reminder to students that they are not alone.To honor Wagner, his family organized a memorial service on August 25 at Lifebridge Christian Church. Many Silver Creek students and staff attended to celebrate his life. Three Silver Creek students spoke to share stories about their time with Wagner. As his most recent workplace, Silver Creek students and staff were able to share memories and photos that gave the rest of his attending family and friends a sense of his last few years.“Through the students who spoke, the photos and videos we shared, I think we provided [Don’s family] with a sense of closure and a realization of the love that we had for Don,” Skelton said.At the memorial, Lyla Capparelli, a Silver Creek choir alum, shared a story about the first time she met Wagner.“I remember the first day that Don came into Bella Voce, which is the women’s choir,” Capparelli said. “I was a junior and I had seen about three other accompanists walk through that door in the last three years. But something about this time felt so different. … [Don] waved and gave us the same warm and kind smile that he gave us the rest of the days that we knew him.”Wagner’s smile and kindness were infectious, inspiring others within the community to reach out a helping hand to each other. Students were more than happy to reciprocate Wagner’s welcoming attitude.Every other year, the Silver Creek performing arts groups go on a spring break trip to perform and spend time together somewhere around the country. In 2024, a group of students and staff from Choir, Theater, Band, and Orchestra visited Orlando, Florida, to perform at Universal Studios and visit Disney World.Throughout the whole trip, but especially at Universal Studios, a group of choir students made sure to stick by Wagner as they went on rides and navigated the theme park.“With a trip like that, where there is a lot of ‘go, go, go!’ it’s easy for those slower-paced individuals to start getting lost in the tide,” Skelton said. “But to these ladies’ credit, they didn’t want that to happen to Don. They were very encouraging and wanted him to feel welcomed and part of their community. … To have students go at a slower pace and ride the gentler rides with [Don] was very special and extremely touching for him.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0szf9N_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0szf9N_1Gul47Os00" width="1080" height="1080" ><figcaption>A compilation of photos taken by students on the Universal Studios trip.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2wFBvx_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2wFBvx_1Gul47Os00" width="1108" height="1080" ><figcaption>Claire Attebury and Don Wagner at Universal Studios.</figcaption></figure>Averi Adair, a Silver Creek choir alum, reflected on this experience in her memorial speech.“My favorite part about that trip was the rides that we went on with Don at Dr. Seuss Land,” Adair said. “His favorite rides were the ‘Train’ ride, the ‘One Fish Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish’ water ride, and, most importantly, the ‘Cat in the Hat’ ride. I honestly had never seen him happier.”As Wagner got older, he struggled with his health, specifically with heart issues. After suffering a stroke at school, discussions began about his retirement. In January of 2026, Wagner left Silver Creek and moved to Fort Collins to spend time with his sister, Cyndi Wilkins, and care for his health.However, both Wagner and his students were overjoyed when he came to the Silver Creek spring concert in May 2026. He did not perform, but was recognized in the audience during the concert. The entire student section and most of the audience began a standing ovation to enthusiastically celebrate Wagner’s contribution to their program.“It’s a testament to the relationships he cultivated within the program and what he meant [to the students],” Skelton said. “It’s not necessarily the musician that Don was, although that played a part; it’s really the person that he was who people were celebrating in that moment.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2NeTlr_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2NeTlr_1Gul47Os00" width="948" height="1080" ><figcaption>Students and audience members cheering for Don Wagner at the Spring Concert.</figcaption></figure>After the concert, current and former students went to personally greet and thank Wagner. For some—like Sydney Wood, a junior in Concert Choir—it was the last time they spoke to him.“I remember feeling really overjoyed and surprised but also really emotional,” Wood said. “I felt so grateful to see him there, and it was comforting to see him again. Looking back, I feel really lucky to have had that moment with him.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=44lgi5_1Gul47Os00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=44lgi5_1Gul47Os00" width="1162" height="1080" ><figcaption>Demond Baker and Coral Buchalter greeting Don Wagner after the Spring Concert.</figcaption></figure>Don Wagner was a light for students in the choir program. He offered a kind smile, a friendly wave, and a listening ear.“I think it’s knowing that you have someone in your corner,” Skelton said. “Knowing that you have someone that you trust, someone who is going to appreciate you through thick and thin, who is truly interested not only in the artist you’re becoming, but also the person you’re becoming.”Read Don Wagner’s obituary here.Don Wagner’s sister Cyndi Wilkins was kind enough to send the Talon Tribune a biography and photo gallery of his life:Don Wagner was “Donnie” to everyone growing up. My dad, a former minor league baseball pitcher from Pennsylvania, was thrilled to have a son and couldn’t wait to pass down his love for the game.Dad took Donnie out to the backyard to play catch, but instead of catching the ball, Donnie shielded his face. My parents quickly realized he needed glasses. Even with clearer vision, though, Donnie had no interest in baseball. He wanted to play the piano.We grew up in Boardman, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown. Money was tight—my Dad worked in the steel mill and my mom was a waitress. Dad felt we couldn’t afford piano lessons, but Mom, who played piano herself, saw Donnie’s passion. When Donnie was seven, Mom secretly took him to a piano teacher while Dad was at work. Donnie practiced on our home piano whenever Dad wasn’t around. The secret lasted about a year. One day, Dad came home early and walked in while Donnie was playing. He looked at Mom and asked, “Have you been taking him to piano lessons?”Mom sheepishly admitted she had. Dad looked over at Donnie, listened for a moment, and said, “he’s pretty good.”Then he walked away—and the lessons continued.By age twelve, Donnie was accompanying school groups. As he grew into “Don,” he was playing for musicals, competitions, and choirs. Don possessed a rare dual gift: he was an exceptional sight-reader, but he could also play by ear and improvise effortlessly. As a singer, I deeply appreciated his improvising talents—if a song was too high, Don could transpose it down in his head instantly, without needing written sheet music.Don graduated from Boardman High School in 1970. He dreamed of attending Bible college, but needed to save money first. During his gap year, he was invited back to Boardman High as a guest accompanist for The Sound of Music (naturally, he lowered the key of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” for my solo). Recognizing Don’s incredible talent, the parents of one of his piano students generously funded his first year of college. Don enrolled at Cincinnati Bible Seminary in the fall of 1971, and I joined him a year later. It was during these college years that my friends and I affectionately nicknamed him “Donboy”—a nod to the popular TV show The Waltons.After graduating, Don played for local churches, theater productions, and regional events in Ohio before moving out to Colorado in the late 1980s. Over the years, his impressive resume included productions at Ye Old Wayside Inn, the Jesters Dinner Theater, and the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.Eventually, Don’s music career centered on his true calling: supporting young musicians. He accompanied choirs for First Christian Church, United Methodist Church, Lakewood’s Latvian Lutheran Church, Longmont High School, and ultimately, Silver Creek High School.His years at Silver Creek were the absolute highlight of his life. Don didn’t just play for “his students”—he invested in their lives, accompanying them on choir trips and sharing in their joys (his favorite being a memorable trip to Universal Studios). His dedication to the school was matched by the community’s dedication to him; when Don suffered a severe heart attack in the music office, Silver Creek Principal Erick Finnestead saved his life using a wall-mounted defibrillator.Though Don faced declining health in his final years, his heart remained with his students. On May 13, we brought Don to the Silver Creek High School spring concert. It was the happiest he had been in months—surrounded by the music and the students he loved. A photograph I had taken that evening revealed tears in his eyes—happy tears. He was exactly where he wanted to be.Don passed away on July 20, leaving behind a legacy of generosity, incredible musical talent, and profound devotion to the students whose lives he touched. Don’s Celebration of Life service was held at Lifebridge Christian Church, in Longmont, on August 25. Several students came to honor him, and Silver Creek High School students Averi Adair, Coral Buchalter, and Lyla Capparelli gave heartfelt testimonies about what Don meant to them. Knowing how much he cherished his students, there is no doubt Don was smiling down on them all.</div></body>

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Choir classes are never quiet: filled with laughter, chatter, and, of course, singing. However, there was always one calm, quiet presence seated at the piano. Don Wagner accompanied the Silver Creek choirs from 2023 to 2025. He was an extraordinary pianist, but what made him truly exceptional was the relationships he cultivated with his students. Don Wagner passed away peacefully on July 20, 2026, concluding a life filled with music, joy, and genuine connection.

Don Wagner: Laid to Rest

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Choir classes are never quiet: filled with laughter, chatter, and, of course, singing. However, there was always one calm, quiet presence seated at the pia

Don Wagner: Laid to Rest

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