Robert "Bob" Judson Winters Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Robert Judson Winters Jr. was born in Detroit on August 11, 1936, the only child of Robert Winters, Sr. and Ruby Irene Tanner Winters... and he had RED hair. He attended Detroit Public Schools and met his loving and beloved wife of 62 years, Kay Dillon Strangways, in the ninth grade and they married in 1959 after college graduation. After graduation, Bob enlisted in the Michigan Air National Guard as an airman basic and retired as a First Lieutenant. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Wayne State University and began his career in education in the Ferndale and Birmingham school districts. He earned his Master of Arts in Education from Michigan State University. He was recruited and became an associate director in a Regional Education Planning Center, serving 35 school districts in upstate New York. After three years, he was recruited by The National Institute of Education in Washington D.C., as a Senior Associate, involved in research on rural schools across the country. When the program was completed Bob came back to Michigan as Deputy Superintendent and Director of Instruction in the East Lansing Public Schools. In 1979, he applied for and was hired by the Essexville-Hampton Public School District, where he served as Superintendent for 17 years. He loved the district, the staff and the Board of Education there. Bob was always thankful for their support. In addition, he served on the Executive Board of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. Bob served the community in many ways. He was on the Executive Board and was Board President of the United Way of Bay County. He was a trustee of Bay Medical Center and McLaren Bay Region for 23 years, with 15 of them as Board Chairman. Bob served on the Bay-Arenac High School Board for 10 years and was on the Helen M. Nickless Volunteer Clinic steering committee since its inception. He was involved in many other community activities. An avid Barbershop singer, Bob was a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for 56 years. With his "Treble Shooters" quartet, he won a district championship and sang at the International Contest three times, once as a quartet, and twice with a chorus. He directed several choruses over the years and credited barbershop for his long life. He sang lead in the quartet in "The Music Man" four different times; in Watertown, New York, Alexandria, Virginia, in the Bay City Players production, and in Bay City Western High School's production. While teaching in Birmingham, Bob and his best friend and fellow teacher started a wilderness canoe trip camp for high school students. It was located in Northern Ontario, Canada. Bob and Kay bought a cabin on a nearby lake in Chapleau, Ontario. They spent many wonderful summers there and still have many great friends in the area. Bob and Kay also loved traveling and visited Tahiti, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Western Europe, Egypt, China, South Africa, the Panama Canal, New Zealand and Australia. Bob was also very proud to have visited all 50 states. As Bob had no family members in Michigan, Kay's family became Bob's family. Kay's sister, Anne Roehrig and her husband, Bill; her brother, Stewart; her brother Jim and his wife, Kathy were like brothers and sisters to him. They were all so dearly loved. As was his best friend since college, Gib Stuve. Bob owned three different boats, each one larger than the previous. He also owned a classic white Mercedes convertible sports car that he loved to drive and received many shouts and whistles from drivers in other vehicles. Bob's home in Essexville was very important to him. He and Kay chose it because it had a large screened porch, a swimming pool, a fireplace, and once they moved in... "two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard, now everything is easy 'cuz of you." Bob's family will be present to receive visitors on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 from 10:00 AM until his 12:00 PM (Noon) Celebration of Life at the Saginaw Bay Yacht Club, 2313 Weadock Hwy., Essexville. Arrangements have been entrusted to Skorupski Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 821 N. Pine Rd., between Ridge & Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to McLaren Bay Region. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family online at www.skorupskis.com.

Robert "Bob" Judson Winters

August 11, 1936 - May 15, 2022