VIENNA, Va. — The motorcoach industry was filled with memories of Andrew Wagner on Friday — stories about buses he got back on the road, middle-of-the-night repairs and the kindness and humor he brought along with his toolbox.
Over the years, Wagner helped operators and drivers out of plenty of predicaments. He was known for getting there quickly, figuring out what was wrong and, just as importantly, calming a stressed driver or making someone laugh.
The name of the roadside repair business he became closely associated with — The Bus Doctor — was a good fit.
“He seemed like a magician with a wrench, with a great personality,” said Jack Kaufman, vice president of Timi’s Tours and a United Motorcoach Association board member.
Wagner died Sept. 3 after a tour bus collapsed on him while he was working underneath it at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, according to media reports.
U.S. Park Police responded about 5 p.m. Police said a support apparatus apparently failed, causing the bus to collapse onto Wagner. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department also responded, according to WUSA9.
Wagner was a member of the Quick’s Bus Company team in Staunton, Virginia. His work with The Bus Doctor made him a familiar and reassuring presence for motorcoach operators traveling through the Washington area.
Kaufman said there was comfort in knowing Wagner was nearby when his Illinois company sent coaches there.
“When you have a fleet of coaches, you know that things can and will go wrong, when sending coaches to the DC area, it was always reassuring knowing Andrew was there to fix what went wrong. I cannot think of how many times he helped our company, or friends of mine,” Kaufman said. “He seemed like a magician with a wrench, with a great personality. The time I spent with him at trainings and conferences was always wonderful and our whole industry will miss him.”
Stories from the road
The testimonials on The Bus Doctor website tell the same story now being shared across the industry.
Kody Norris of The Kody Norris Show called Wagner after having trouble with his tour bus. Wagner answered and offered to come help. When Norris needed him again the next morning,
Wagner showed up when promised and worked through the problem.
“He arrived promptly when he said he would and was the epitome of professionalism from the time he pulled on site until the repair was complete,” Norris wrote.
But it was what happened after the repair that stood out. Wagner texted Norris later to make sure he had made it home safely.
“Service like that just doesn’t exist in the world today,” Norris wrote.
Leland Bailey of Coastal Motor Coach had another story. Wagner drove an hour and a half in the middle of the night to help when his bus broke down. When Wagner discovered the spare belts on the bus were the wrong size, he went home, got the right belt and came back.
“As soon as he got there it was like a friend coming to help,” Bailey wrote.
Other testimonials describe Wagner repairing batteries, tires, air conditioning, doors and just about everything in between.
Gary of Hawkeye Stages remembered needing Wagner’s help during a bus trip to Washington, D.C. Wagner worked with the driver and tour guide and even helped coordinate with the tow truck operator.
“Andrew made a difficult situation a much calmer happening,” he wrote. ‘Always one to help anybody’
John Vance worked alongside Wagner for about 2½ years.
“He was always very knowledgeable, very much a family man, and he was always one to help anybody,” Vance said.
Vance said Wagner will be missed by many people throughout the company.
Rachel Greenwell, a Georgia Coach Lines driver and industry social media influencer, remembers the same combination of skill, patience and humor.
She had recently talked with Wagner about joining her at a future United Motorcoach Association event to share some of his mechanical expertise. He told her he would love to, but they would talk more later in the year.
“He was one of the best mechanics I met, always humble and always willing to help,” Greenwell said. “He often sacrificed time for himself to get buses and groups back on the road because he cared.”
She said Wagner also had a knack for helping drivers relax when something went wrong.
“He would help the driver feel less stressed finding a way to make them laugh. And he was so patient even if you didn’t know much on mechanics,” Greenwell said.
Greenwell once decided to test that patience. Wagner asked her to get him a flathead screwdriver, and she pretended she didn’t know what he meant.
“He was so sweet and just said oh it’s the on that’s flat not pointy. Then he realized I was playing with him,” she said.
Ginger ale and a roadside rescue
Keith Veale’s memory of Wagner also started with a broken bus.
Wagner fixed a tensioner pulley on Veale’s coach, and while the two talked, they discovered they shared a taste for whiskey with ginger ale.
Veale returned with an ice-cold ginger ale and joked that it didn’t have any whiskey in it.
Later that month, Veale saw Wagner working on another company’s coach and walked over with another ginger ale. Wagner had already fixed a co-worker’s air conditioning that morning.
Veale described him on Facebook as “such a nice guy and probably the absolute roadside savior to so many.”
“Such a great person, he was a helper,” Veale wrote. “Andrew was just goodness personified. May his memory live on in the stories and may his family find some comfort from all of the outpouring of love and appreciation for such a huge Samaritan with a big heart,” he wrote.
‘Truly one of a kind’
Patricia Cowley, executive director of the Pennsylvania Bus Association and Greater Northeast Motorcoach Association, said Wagner was valued by members of both organizations. Quick’s Bus and The Bus Doctor are members of the associations.
Cowley said she knew firsthand how much Wagner meant to their members, both for his ability to help when a coach needed repairs on the road and for the way he treated people.
“RIP, Andrew. The motorcoach community mourns this morning,” Cowley wrote on Facebook.
“When I think of him, so many words come to mind: funny, kind, incredibly talented, generous, easy-going, smart…and way too young to die. He was truly one of a kind and will be deeply missed by everyone fortunate enough to have known him, even if just briefly.”
Remembered as a cornerstone
The Virginia Motorcoach Association announced Wagner’s death Friday, describing him as a mentor, friend and cornerstone of the motorcoach industry.
“Andrew was more than just an employee of Quicks Bus; he was a cornerstone of the motorcoach industry. His impact on our industry will never be forgotten. We will honor his memory by continuing the values he embodied: dedication, community, and compassion,” the association said.
VMA said Wagner’s technical expertise and commitment to safety and quality made him an important part of Quicks Bus. He was also known for his laughter, warm personality and ability to connect with people.
The association summed up Wagner’s approach to his work in a few words, saying he died while “doing what he loved most. Helping Others.”
Concert canceled
The accident occurred ahead of a scheduled concert by English rock band Squeeze and singer Adam Ant at Wolf Trap. The 7:30 p.m. performance was canceled, according to media reports.
“There was an accident involving a member of the community at Wolf Trap National Park today, tragically resulting in a loss of life. Out of respect, tonight’s show has been canceled,” Wolf Trap officials said in a statement.
Quicks Bus has provided transportation services in Staunton for more than 80 years and is a longtime member of several motorcoach associations.
VMA said plans for a memorial service will be announced in the coming days.
