Harold Franklin Winstead Jr.

Harold Franklin Winstead Jr., husband, father, son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend, on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 transitioned from this life.

Born on April 16, 1962, in Durham, NC, Harold Jr. was the first of four sons born to Harold and Frances Winstead Sr. He is preceded in death by his mother.

Unyielding in his pursuit of excellence, Harold (a.k.a. Hal) received his primary and secondary education at Holy Angeles Catholic and the Portsmouth Public Schools System. Harold developed a passion for knowledge and became a fierce competitor at an early age. For fun, he used to read the encyclopedia. Harold was a little league athlete in the Portsmouth Parks and Recreation football, baseball and basketball leagues; being regularly selected to play on the All-Star Teams. Playing the trumpet nurtured his love of music, beginning in junior high. His zeal to learn and compete escalated as he entered Manor High School in 1976.

While at Manor, Harold distinguished himself both in the classroom and on the athletic fields, proving himself an accomplished “student-athlete”. Harold was a member of the National Honor Society and selected to attend Boys State for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Athletically, Harold focused primarily on football and baseball. He was highly successful, as evidenced by being named to the All-City; All-District and All-Regional Teams in Football and Baseball, respectively. After being heavily recruited by several Division-I colleges and universities, he received a football scholarship to Duke University in Durham, NC. As a four-year letterman in football, Harold graduated from Duke with a degree in economics. While attending Duke, Harold made many lifelong friendships and found a second home in the Omega Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. Harold held several offices and positions in the Omega Zeta Chapter to include Basileus and Dean of Pledges.

Harold started his career in the financial services industry with First Investors Corporation in 1985, as a Financial Consultant. This position exposed him to many different people in various industries as he plotted his path to success. Harold’s natural charisma and desire to excel led him to leadership positions at different companies such as Precise Machine and Fabrication (Chesapeake, VA), NFA, Inc. (Hampton VA), End to End (Norfolk VA), VisuTel (Los Angeles, CA), E-Loyalty (Chicago, IL), and LV.Net (Las Vegas, NV) where he was a valued co-worker, leader, and friend. Although he worked for several companies and organizations, Hal was driven by his “entrepreneurial spirit.”

Having been friends since childhood, Harold and Kathy E. Wright were married on December 17, 1988. Shortly after marriage, Harold and Kathy joined St. John’s AME in Norfolk, VA and started their family. They were blessed with three boys, Harold III, Hunter, and Hamilton all born in Norfolk, VA. The family later joined Second Baptist Church of Santa Ana, CA in 2003.

Even though business kept him traveling, he always made time with his family a top priority. He traveled around the world, from California to Africa, but always found time for his sons, whether coaching sports teams, giving them their first forays into science and technology, or delving into the facts of black history. Blessed with a loving family and dedicated friends, Harold Winstead followed his motto, “Do thy duty which is best, and to God leave the rest.”

Left to cherish his precious memory are his wife, Kathy E. Winstead; three sons, Harold III, Hamilton and Hunter; father, Harold F. Winstead, Sr.; father-in-law, Edward L. Wright, Jr.; three brothers, Huron F. Winstead (Janice), Hilton F. Winstead (Benita) and Harrison F. Winstead (LaTeshia); a sister-in-law, Vikki Harper (Denell); and many other loving relatives and friends.