Lou Wagenaer, a long-time dealer and former president of the Kent Coin Club, based in Ontario, died on June 29 at the age of 87.
The last surviving founding member of the club, Wagenaer served as president of the group for 53 years, during which time he also served as a dealer.
Born in Belgium on May 4, 1932, Wagenaer later immigrated to Canada, where he began collecting coins in 1959. By 1963, he and five other collectors formed a club in Chatham, Ont., where Wagenaer later opened Lou’s Coin and Stationery, which he operated for more than two decades.
The Kent Coin Club was formed in 1963 with Wagenaer as one of its founding members.
“When the chips are down they pull together and I am proud to be a member of the Kent Coin Club. I hope it will continue to exist for a long time,” wrote Wagenaer in the May/June 2004 edition of The Ontario Numismatist, the official publication of the Ontario Numismatic Association.
“I enjoy my hobby and I have been fortunate to meet many nice people. Coin collecting is the oldest and best hobby in the world.”
A funeral was held for Wagenaer on July 3.