Gunther H. Winkler

1934 - 2016

Gunther H. Winkler, 81, of Bolton, loving husband of 58 years to Helen (Hofmann) Winkler, died Friday, July 8, 2016, at an assisted living facility in Glastonbury after a long and courageous struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

Gunther was born in New York City Oct. 1, 1934, son of Gustav A. and Irma (Lux) Winkler. He spent his early childhood in Freeport, Long Island, before his family settled in Rifton, New York. A graduate of Kingston High School, he went on to study at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in management engineering. He was a member of Phi Mu Delta fraternity and the RPI Glee Club.

Prior to his retirement Gunther was a project engineer at Hamilton Standard and had previously worked at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. A quiet, unassuming man, he loved his family deeply and was kind and considerate to all who were fortunate to have known him. There was no task he was afraid to tackle; he believed that "if someone else could do it, he could learn to do it too." His interests were many and varied. He was an avid gardener and a 40-year member of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society, which awarded him the society's bronze medal for outstanding contributions.

He worked for many years on his family's genealogy, enjoyed stamp collecting, photography and was an accomplished bird carver. His love of fishing took him to northern Maine, Alaska, Venezuela, Brazil, and Great Slave Lake in Canada. For several years he volunteered as engineering advisor to the Bolton High School Solar Bolt, a battery/solar-powered car that always excelled in competition. Gunther loved the town of Bolton, where he made his home for the past 55 years. He was a longtime member of the Bolton Scholarship Committee, a member of the town's first Conservation Commission, actively involved in the early development of Herrick and Indian Notch Parks, and also served on the ad hoc Save our Beautiful Bolton committee.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Jeffrey and Lisa Hamaker, of Bolton, Massachusetts, and Brian and his wife, Dana, of Jacksonville, Oregon; four grandchildren, Danielle, Christopher, Eric, and Kelly Winkler; his sister and brother, Millie Coleman and her husband, George, of Rifton; and Lee Winkler and his wife, Ellen, of New Paltz, New York; and several nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, July 12, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Holmes Funeral Home, 400 Main St., Manchester, will be followed by a special time for family and friends to share favorite memories in celebration of a life well lived. Burial will be in Bolton Center Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bolton Scholarship Fund Inc., 72 Brandy St., Bolton, CT 06043, the Alzheimer's Association, 200 Executive Blvd., Southington, CT 06489-1058, Vitas Hospice Service, 628 Hebron Ave., Bldg. 2, Suite 300, Glastonbury, CT 06033, or Bolton Land Trust, 36 Maple Valley Road, Bolton.

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