Key West isn’t so big on memorial events conducted in hushed tones and black attire. Neither was the late, local music man “Caffeine Carl” Wagoner, who died earlier this month after a valiant battle with cancer.
Though devastated by the loss, Key West ensured Wagoner’s music and memories would never fade. More than 500 people joined a second line funeral march on July 15 that filled Duval Street with marching music and culminated in a reception that packed Key West Theater and gave friends and relatives a chance to share their favorite stories of the island native who taught himself to play guitar and never looked back. Tears mixed with laughter as a slide show on the giant screen at Key West Theater traced Wagoner’s life as a boy in Key West, as a father and as a husband to the love of his life, Erin Wagoner.
Rest easy, Carl. Thanks for the memories.
