William Joseph Winters passed away, or went “nite-nite” as he would say, on March 26, 2023 at the age of 63. He fought many medical issues over the past three years and was taken way too young. Bill was born to William B. and Josephine Joseph Winters on June 20, 1959. He grew up in Lee and graduated from Lee High School in 1977.
Bill lived a simple life, always giving more to others than to himself. He began his career as a machinist at Clark Aiken in Lee and worked at other local shops, retiring from Jarvis Surgical in Westfield. He was proud of his work and showed many people what their knee replacements were going to look like before their surgery. He loved to go for a car ride, especially in the worst snowstorms, bringing coffee to workers plowing snow. His favorite Thanksgiving task was serving meals to people in need. He would take a cooler of drinks, each person’s favorite, to the garden shop after a long hot day. This is just a sample of the small things that he did to make people smile.
His pride and joys were his sons Dylan and Isaac, both of whom he loved dearly. He was lucky enough to be the officiant for Dylan and Abby’s wedding in May, referring to himself as Reverend Bill. He loved to talk about guns and hunting with Isaac after his trips, or to just hang out at dad’s apartment.
Besides his sons and daughter-in-law, Abby, whom he always asked ‘who are you?’ because he loved hearing that he had a daughter, he leaves Isaac’s girlfriend, Caitlyn, with whom he had a special bond; Caitlyn’s children, Blake and Brooklyn; his former wife (or better referred to as friend), Rhonda LaBombard and husband Don; his brother, Michael and wife Shelley; and Michael and Shelley’s son, Jamel. He leaves many friends, far too many to name, but he truly appreciated each one. He was also grandpaw to Jackson and Luna, who will miss him and his treats.
He was amazed at the number of visitors he had during his last few weeks. They were special people who always wanted to sit and visit or bring his favorite thing, a cold Coke. It is our impression that Coca-Cola will see a deep decline in sales, for he could drink them fast, but only the little bottles, because according to Bill, “the big ones don’t taste the same.”
A special thank you to all of you who helped during his struggle, especially to the Unit 3 staff at Fairview Commons, whom he thought of not just as care givers, but friends. They provided him with wonderful care in his final weeks.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Berkshire Humane Society in Bill’s name, or give a yellow rose to a loved one and let them know that you love them. As we know, life is too short to not tell someone how much they are loved.
It is our hope that Bill is sitting somewhere with white sand and blue water pain free. We love you BIG GUY!
There will be a celebration of life held at Great Barrington Fish and Game at 338 Long Pond Road on April 15 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Please join us as we celebrate Bill, and bring your stories to share.
