Obituary of Donald Winsor

Donald R. Winsor "Loving husband, father and grandfather" Olean, NY Donald R. Winsor of 20th St. died Friday (July 9, 2010) in the Olean General Hospital. Born June 16, 1924 in Olean, NY he was the son of LeGurn and Jesse Roblee Winsor. On December 16, 1944 in Ebenezer, NY he married Marion E. Conklin who predeceased him April 26, 1990. On May 23, 1992 in Olean he married Carol Morris Hinkle who survives. Surviving besides his wife are his daughter Sandra (Michael) O'Meara of Rochester; son Ronald (Annemarie) Winsor of North Granby, CT; and stepdaughter Nancy (Donald) Pritchard of Baden, PA; 5 grandchildren; 10 great grandchildren; 4 step grandchildren; a sister Luella Evans Stark of Olean; a foster sister Rachel Gross of Olean and several nieces and nephews. Don was a lifelong resident of Olean and lived his entire life in the same house on 20th Street. He attended Olean schools and was a veteran of WWII where he served with the US Navy. He was first employed for 21 years for the former Columbia Gas Co. Following a boyhood passion for anything on wheels, he then operated his own trucking business from 1970 until 1976. Starting in 1976 he was employed for Olean Public Schools in the maintenance department until his retirement in 1987. He also volunteered as a safety officer for the City of Olean. He always was enthusiastic about stock car racing, Harley Davidson motorcycles and convertibles. These interests continued in his retirement years with a job as a limousine driver and a volunteer driver for Interfaith Caregivers and Meals-on-Wheels. Don was also very proud of his involvement in the Miss New York pageant where he used his own Cadillac convertible and became the preferred chauffer of Tawney Godin, the former Miss NYS Pageant winner who went on to become Miss America 1976. He was a member of the Olean American Legion and later the Allegany American Legion Charles Harbel Post 892. Friends will be received at the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home 3128 W. State Rd. Olean on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9. Funeral services will be held Wednesday (July 14, 2010) at 11:00am in the Five Mile Baptist Church, Allegany. Rev. Michael Sanders, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Olean. Memorials may be made to the Five Mile Baptist Church 3624 Five Mile Rd. Allegany, NY 14706 or to a charity of the donor's choice.