John E. Winsor

October 16th, 1940 – November 12, 2012

He was born on October 16th, 1940 and took one last peaceful ride into the sunset this past Monday, November 12, 2012 at 1:22pm. John Edward Winsor was born in Easton, Kansas and was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Rosa Winsor and a half-brother, Tommy Winsor. (Frank was a railroad man turned butcher and Rosa just had the kindest heart, loved everyone, and best of all, cooked with butter.)

John is survived by his wife of 33 years, Phyllis (Welsh) Winsor of Linwood, Kansas, who he loved so, “Muchly”; their daughter Alyssa Winsor of Tonganoxie; his first wife Sharon Winsor of Lawrence, Kansas, and their children, Russell Winsor (with wife Terri) of McKinney, Texas, Dawn Miller (with husband Gary) of Gardner, Kansas, Valerie Winsor of Topeka, Kansas, Tonya Barnes (with husband Robert) of Linwood, Kansas, and Leith Winsor (with wife Veronica) of Lawrence, Kansas. John is also survived by a brother, Francis (Fritzi) Winsor of Winchester, Kansas, and five sisters, Rosemary Abel of Winchester, Kansas, Margaret Bardroff of Easton, Kansas, Helen Craig of Corpus Christie, Texas, Barbara Herzog of Lansing, Kansas, and Theresa Ollinger of Kansas City, Kansas. He was also blessed with seventeen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren with two more on the way; not to mention all the nieces, nephews, cousins and friends all too numerous to mention.

Rosary and Visitation will be on Thursday, November 15th, 6:00pm-8:00pm at Rumsey – Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, Kansas with the funeral service on Friday, November 16th, at 2:00pm at St. John’s Catholic Church, also of Lawrence and internment at St. Lawrence Catholic Cemetery in Easton, Kansas.

John graduated high school from Easton High School, way back when it was still a small brick building on the edge of town. He played football, baseball, basketball and track (they called him “The Tank” back then). He wore a leather jacket, cuffed jeans, and put grease in his hair, way before it was cool. He drank Coors gold, smoked cigarettes and worked at his father’s locker plant.

After high school John worked for and retired from Hallmark Cards in the Leavenworth plant first, and then the Lawrence facility. John wasn’t one for idle sentiment, and he didn’t write the words, but he spent 37 years making sure the cards were cut, scrapped, printed, embossed, flittered, flocked, foiled, packaged, warehoused and shipped; all so most of the world could send “ the very best” to those they “cared about” the most.

Outside of work, John’s passions were his family, horses, flying, and occasionally Wild Turkey and Seven. He raised six children and a whole bunch of quarter-horses (Whiskey was his favorite and also the meanest). John was also a pilot and flew Cessna planes for fun. (He even got Rosa up there, once). But, John was riding highest, sitting in a saddle on horseback. Occasionally, he wore a six-shooter, and a bull whip, just in case( he once killed a black snake with the whip and the snake was the longer of the two; but most of the time just scared the crap out of the kids, popping the whip).

John was a school board president in Easton and was in the Lions Club in both Easton and Linwood; he helped in United Way, was a Big Brother, and in Junior Achievement. He was on the Water Board, RWD. #10(which was worse than it sounds) and was proud to be one of the founding volunteers at Reno Township Fire Department (this was after his heart-attack). He used to shoot trap, hunt coyote, and bowled a few frames. He managed hundreds of people, even though, some would always complain.

There is not too much more to say, John lived a simple Kansas life. Providing for his family in the good times and through strife. He was a friend, a husband, a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother and son. He asked little from others but offered up a ton. We know that John’s in heaven now, with our Lord God’s only Son. Watching over all of us, and riding “Whiskey in the Sun”!

John didn’t much care for flowers; he just didn’t see the need. So please in lieu of, make donations to: The American Diabetes Associations, The American Heart Association, St. John’s Catholic Church, sent in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.