Columbus, OH — Barbara Ann Wagner, 81, a realtor who brokered the sale of many New Jersey horse farms and training centers, died at home on Dec. 20, 2024.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 13, 1943, to Roger and Celia Hunko, Mrs. Wagner moved to Englishtown, N.J., with her family in 1952 and she attended Freehold (N.J.) High School.
Mrs. Wagner, who obtained her real estate license in 1968, was a broker and sales associate at RE/MAX Homeland Realtors for many years and one of the longest tenured members of the Monmouth County (N.J.) Board of Realtors. Barbara was also a member of the Planning Board and Historical Preservation for the Borough of Freehold. A founding member of the Speedy Fillies, she became an advocate to the horse farm and racing industry. In her last weeks, she worked tirelessly and received countless phone calls from those seeking her advice and connections to find a way to continue racing at Freehold Raceway.
She was instrumental in passage of New Jersey’s Farmland Assessment Act, which made raising horses possible in one of the country’s most populous states. Her knowledge of land use regulations and policies, along with specialized knowledge of the racing industry and mundane but vital equine issues like drainage, fence construction and barn ventilation made her the “go to” broker for anyone buying or selling property in the Standardbred world. She brokered the sale of the Magical Acres training center for Chuck Sylvester twice, along with Crystal Brook, Scenic View, Hervé Filion’s Congress Hill Farm, and Harry Harvey’s Village Farm. She consulted on many other properties, including Meadows Run, Joe Parisi’s White Birch Farm, and Perretti Farm.
Mrs. Wagner is survived by a brother, Roger Hunko (Kathleen); sister, Suzanne Hope; daughter, Cecile (Cindy) Anderson; son, Donald Wagner (Lisa); sister-in-law, Donna Hope; son-in-law, Kenneth Andersen; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Robert Hunko; brother-in-law, George Hope; adopted daughter, Michelle Bailey Diamonte; and nephew, Michael J. Ferriole.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Dec. 26, from 4-8 p.m. at Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center Street, Freehold, NJ 07728, with a service to be held Friday, Dec. 27, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church, at 16 McLean Street in Freehold, and a repast at the American Hotel, at 18-20 East Main Street in Freehold.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, 2711 Friar Tuck Road, Anderson, IN 46013.