George Edward Winkler, building contractor

George Edward Winkler, 90, of Richmond, Va., after recently moving from Angola by the Bay, Lewes, died peacefully Monday, April 27, 2020.

He is survived by eight children and their family members: George T. and Kelli Winkler, James and Tammy Winkler, and great-grandchild Wyatt, Scott Winkler, and great-grandchild McKayla; Jillian Winkler and the three Sherman daughters, Meghan, Hanna and Britta; daughter Deborah Winkler; John and Myla Winkler, and their sons, John Michael and Keyser, and Brian and Janice Winkler and their son Brendan and daughter Maria; Lisa Marie Garcia and her daughters, Brittany Lee and Domonique; Mark Winkler and daughters Hannah, Leah, and stepdaughter Rachel; Jay Winkler and his wife Raquel, and their sons Samuel J. and Daniel J. Winkler of Moorestown, N.J.; Julie Ann Vargo and her husband Steven Vargo and their daughter Olivia S., and son Owen E. Vargo of Richmond, Va.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Elizabeth “Betty”; his second wife, Mary Ellen; and his brothers, Earl and Charles.

George was born May 10, 1929, in Barton, Md., to the late Edward Thomas Winkler, a coal miner, and Viola Mary (Swauger) Winkler, a homemaker. Together they provided a comfortable, loving home. He soon had a sister, Angela, and brothers, A. Leo, Earl L. and Charles A. George graduated from Barton High School in 1947. At age 18, George enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Scott Field, III., where he became an instructor, specializing in aircraft electronics. Upon his honorable discharge from the Air Force with the rank of sergeant, George’s quest for higher education began by first earning an associate’s degree from WVU Potomac State College.

He moved to Washington, D.C., and used both his military service experience and education, and began a career in electronics instrumentation, eventually going into electronic test equipment sales. He then enrolled at George Washington University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in business administration. He married Elizabeth Pauline (Gude) Winkler in March 1957. They resided in Silver Spring, Md., and were blessed with six children, George T., Deborah L., John G., Brian M., Lisa M. and Mark D. Tragically, Elizabeth died in 1968. George remarried on Christmas Day 1969, and his new wife, Mary Ellen (Day) Winkler was a schoolteacher and former nun. They had two children, Jay E. and Julie A., and the Winklers became a family of eight children.

With an entrepreneurial and independent spirit, George started his own business and became a building contractor in 1971. He specialized in remodeling and new construction, and several of his children worked alongside him and learned valuable carpentry and mechanical skills. George, a devout Catholic, also used his construction experience and talent to advise, maintain and repair churches in Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

Around 1975, George and Mary Ellen purchased a vacation home in Angola by the Bay, Lewes, where they spent summers with their children and enjoyed boating, clamming, crabbing, fishing, making new friends and all things the beautiful Delmarva coastline has to offer. Eventually they moved to Lewes to live year-round in 1985. George loved to tell stories of his youth in the coal mining town of Barton, and his travels across the United States as a young salesman.

George loved a cold beer, nature and the outdoors, camping and gathering morel mushrooms with his children. Always active in spiritual life and the church, George’s faith guided him through life and his unwavering duty as a father who loved his children unconditionally.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at Catholic Church of the Epiphany, 11000 Smoketree Drive, Richmond, Va., livestreamed at https://livestream.com/accounts/7787388/events/9108784, or go to www.Blileys.com, where condolences may be made. A private graveside ceremony will be held at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made, in memory of George and Mary Ellen Winkler, to the Angola by the Bay Sea Gals Scholarship Fund, 33457 Woodland Circle, Lewes, DE 19958. Attn: Sea Gals Scholarship Fund.