Gene Winkler

1940 - 2015

Santa Barbara lost a unique and precious soul this past week. Gene Winkler, known affectionately to friends and family as Gene-O, passed away on the afternoon of Sunday, December 6th 2015, on the grounds of his beautiful home in the hills overlooking Santa Barbara. He was 75 years old and leaves behind three loving children, family and friends. A mountain man to the core, Gene built his first home on W. Camino Cielo, before eventually building his final home atop Gibraltar Road, providing him the wild and rugged platform for life he so enjoyed. He will be remembered by some, sitting atop a backhoe, as the sole proprietor of Gene Winkler Construction Company. Others will remember him for his life of adventure: a boy of upstate New York origins, some afternoons were spent riding motorcycles up and down twisty New England roads, a passion which eventually led him to join the professional motorcycle road racing circuit, and compete up and down the east coast at legendary courses such as Watkins Glen and Daytona. In the 1960?s he arrived in Los Angeles, initially residing in Venice. He developed a love for martial arts that would be life long, both physically and spiritually and dedicated himself to mastering Tai Chi and Kung Fu with renowned master James Wing Woo among others. As he grew more mature, Gene was consumed by his love of aviation, specifically gliding. He became an FAA flight examiner, and helped instill his love of flying in new pilots right up until his death. Beloved by his children, Gene was a protective and dedicated father, who was extremely proud of his kids. He will be remembered for his black beard, unruly hair, and for his power to make a joke out of just about anything. Truly a Renaissance Man, there was only one Gene-O. He will be sorely missed by all.

A Service will be held Monday, December 14, 2015 at 11:00am at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.