Donald Floyd Hagen

Donald Floyd Hagen, age 88, of Raritan Township, NJ, passed away peacefully at the Hunterdon Medical Center on April 7, 2024.

Don was born in Minneapolis, MN, on July 13, 1935, and lived an active early life playing Park Board hockey, baseball, and in High School, was a member of the City Champion cross-country team, wrestling team and as one of the city’s top distance runners, was elected Captain of the track team in his senior year.

He met and married Shirley Johnston in 1956. She passed away in June, 2015. Don is survived by their son Jeffrey, (Shirley), daughters Danita (Jeff), and Allison (Edward), as well as his cherished grandchildren, Madeline, Chad, and Katherine. Additionally, surviving are his sisters, Jane Hess of Minnetonka, MN, and Rita Hagen of Savannah, GA. Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, Floyd and Helen Hagen, and his sister, Betty Lee McKinney.

Don was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps and had a 37 year career in sales for the Soo Line Railroad in Minneapolis, Milwaukee and San Francisco before being transferred to New York City as a General Agent. He eventually was promoted to Manager-New York Sales Region. He held many offices in various transportation organizations including the prestigious Traffic Club of New York where he was elected President and later, Chairman-of-the-Board in the mid 80’s.

Don retired from the Soo Line in December 1990, and founded a meeting planning company called “Meet with Success”. It didn’t…and he again retired to focus on the fruits of his labors. He and Shirley travelled often, and far. He was absolutely crazy over Italy and even created and built his own den in the manner of an Italian Villa overlooking his “Piazza Donaldo”. A passion for making things out of discarded material kept him busy and also satisfied his creativeness.

Don’s active sporting life included hockey, track skiing (both water and snow), golf (had a hole-in-one in 1958), car racing and rallying with the Sports Car Club of America where he won dozens of trophies and a National Title. He drove a Dodge sponsored team to a class win in the 1987 Cannonball One Lap of America race covering over 8,000 miles in one week.

Reluctantly admitting his driving ability had slowed he turned to a less stressful sport when the poker bug bit him in 2008. It was a new outlet for his fierce competitive spirit. He studied and practiced to be good enough to win several minor tournaments in Atlantic City and Las Vegas and a World Poker Tour senior event in Florida in February 2013. With the advent of internet poker in New Jersey, he was a consistent money winner in on-line tournaments.

Don served his Flemington Fields community well as a first Trustee and President of the Board of Trustees. Known as the neighborhood “dumpster diver” his creativity was evident in the multitude of props and other handiwork he built for social gatherings and neighborhood parties.

The above was written by our Dad which states the facts on a life well lived…but it doesn’t nearly express the essence of the man who was well loved.

Our Dad oozed positivity and embraced life fully…this was a man who always woke up cheery to singing Rise and Shine and was always looking forward to tomorrow as he told us….he got better looking every day.

He was dubbed the Renaissance man. He could talk to anyone about anything and often times had people pulling out their dictionaries to understand the expansive vocabulary he used. Besides the talents he already mentioned, he was a prolific writer of poetry and limericks, amused us with his quick wit and “Hagen Humor” as well as entertained us with his numerous stories.

He was a snappy dresser – affectionately called “Dapper Don” and will always be remembered for his fun and decorative socks. Special thank you to all who contributed to his vast collection.

He loved adventures, traveling with dear friends, sitting on his deck with the “Deck Dollies”, sipping White Zin on the patio at the Glens in Boca Raton, Monday night poker with the guys but most of all he loved spending time with his children and his adored grandchildren.

A celebration of his wonderful life is planned for July – details to follow and will be updated on this site when finalized. Per his words: It would be fitting if my memorial service was simply a fun reception held outside on some patio with any guests sipping wine, listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play and viewing my “brag display” of photos and phrases I’ve prepared for the occasion. I put it together to show everyone how much fun and rewarding my time has been.”

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his honor and memory may be sent to St. Paul Evangelic Lutheran Church, 15 West Somerset Street, Raritan, NJ 08869.

Jeff, Dee-Dee and Allison wish to express our condolences to all his friends and hope you are as comforted as we are with the beautiful memories that he has left us with. When our mother passed away he wrote a note to all on her guestbook…that is only befitting to use for him too. In the soothing words of Helen Keller, “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”  He will be forever in our hearts!

All arrangements are under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

You are encouraged to visit Don’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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