Marie Winkel

Marie (Yanni) Winkel, age 84, of Rutherford, died Monday, July 28, in Hamilton, NJ, from complications of dementia. Born in Harlem, New York, on March 31, 1941, and raised by her devoted single mother, Phyllis Caturano, Marie Winkel was raised in a tenement-style apartment alongside her older sister, Josephine (Lolly), and younger brother, Philip. With aunts and uncles like Lena and Joey Caturano nearby, her childhood was filled with the strong family ties and street-corner familiarity that defined her New York roots. Marie always saw herself as a true New Yorker, and her life was woven through the neighborhoods of Harlem, the Bronx, Manhattan, the South Street Seaport, and Coney Island. She met her husband, James (Jim) Douglas Winkel, through mutual friends, and true to her heritage, they shared a first date at Florio's Restaurant in Little Italy-across the street from the legendary Ferrara's Italian Bakery.
Marie and Jim left the city in search of a home with more space and settled in Rutherford, NJ, in 1973. Marie cherished her community, making lifelong friends-Pat Bonhag, Margie Dillon, Valerie Bowen-through the Union School PTA. She was a beloved volunteer helping first-graders learn to read and spent countless joyful hours at the Rutherford Public Library, her favorite place in town.
She welcomed relatives, friends, neighbors, and even friends of friends into her home, always with open arms and a warm meal. Her spirit showed in the kitchen, whether she was perfecting an Italian classic or experimenting with dishes from a Chinese cooking class. She took pride in hosting parties and especially enjoyed backyard cookouts for her husband's Fourth of July birthday and her family's traditional, elaborate Christmas Eve feast. Marie especially loved decorating the house for every single holiday. Her love of flowers meant the backyard was always bursting with color. She loved road trips to the shore and antique shopping in Lambertville and New Hope. She was also a regular at holiday celebrations at the Murphy farm in Bradford County, PA.
Funeral Private.