A well known Portage la Prairie resident passed away early Sunday morning. Orville Wagner was 78.

He had a long involvement with city activities, as a pharmacist, as well as serving on City Council, first in the '80s, then in the early 2000s.

Ken Brennan was mayor of the city during Wagner's second time on Council, and says Wagner will be missed.

"And I genuinely say that, because Orville was the type personality that pretty much always had a smile on his face. Always had a joke for you, or he'd send you something on e-mail. He and I e-mailed each other daily for years after Council. I think he's left a print in this city that we'll enjoy for a long time."

Ken Brennan

He remembers Wagner as the councillor who was always completely prepared for meetings.

"We used to get a lot of information given to us in our Council books, and it would take many hours of reading and studying to show up at Council and totally understand what we were dealing with that night. Orville was always that guy that showed up, who had done all his homework. He had highlighted the important points that he wanted to speak on. He challenged us continually to do the right thing."

Brennan adds Wagner was heavily involved in the community beyond his time on Council.

"Even when I was a young man, Orville was involved in the community somewhere. He was on Council way back, prior to my interest in being on Council. He was also in service clubs, he was also a druggist, and he's just the kind of a person that people will get a grin on their face when they talk about him down the road."

Brennan strongly believes Portage is a better place because of Orville Wagner. His funeral is Friday 1 o'clock at St. Mary's la Prairie Church.