Dennis Winters

Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures.

Dennis James Winters lived a blessed life.  Born on December 8, 1943 to Grant and Susan Winters, he was born with a heart full of wonder.  He moved, body and soul, to an old rhythm set to the beat of a dropped sail, the backfire of a dusty old van, the gurgle of a geyser, or the purr of a chainsaw as it bit deep into timber.  As a young man he helped his brother Don move cattle by boat from California to Hawaii, he travelled to Australia and Europe where he experienced Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Italy, and he brought back a VW bus with him.  Part of his magic was that Dennis could find adventure everywhere, in anything, with anyone.  He was the kind of person you wanted to find extra time to be around.  In 1971, a few years after the great van smuggling of 1968, he met and married a kindred soul named Cathy.  Every man has his own destiny:  the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.  Follow it he did with Cathy by his side.  A few years after they were married, the family went on a grand adventure.  They journeyed from California to Oregon, through Washington and up into British Columbia.  They crossed the Canadian Rockies, marveled at the clear green tinted waters of Lake Louise and the snow-capped peaks in Banff National Park, took time to nibble the best poutine Calgary had to offer, and eventually, as with most great quests and feats of daring, had to make their way back home.  Dennis had planned for this, his adventuring heart steady, and their return trip was filled with just as many sights and sounds.  From Canada they went down into Montana, through the grasslands of Wyoming, to the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, to Yellowstone and Old Faithful.  They saw just enough of Idaho to make it count, the red rocks of Utah, the God-painted landscapes around the Great Salt Lake, the earthen history and heart of the Grand Canyon, the bright lights of Las Vegas, and finally the comforts of home in California.  They spent a few more years in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles before moving to Oregon.  Most of the 80s were spent amount the Oregon Ash and Ponderosa Pines of the Pacific Northwest.  There Dennis was able to commune with nature, haul out the lawn mower or chainsaw, top trees and revel in the flurry of sawdust he created.  Yard work was a different type of escape for him and one he enjoyed in equal measure.  After a while California called and the small family returned to Los Angeles where they remained for 27 years.  But nature and change won out and Dennis returned to Oregon in 2017 to spend the rest of his days watching the sun burn off the early morning haze, feeling the woodgrain of a tree he had trimmed up, and living each day as its own adventure.  If the goal is to die with memories not dreams then Dennis hit his mark, with grace, with courage, and the passion of a man who takes more with him than he leaves behind.  He leaves behind his wife, Cathy; daughter & husband, 4 grandchildren, sister, Pat, brothers, Don and Bob.  A funeral will be held, Tues, April 30, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church with burial at Wilkeson Catholic Cemetery. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dennis Winters, please visit our floral store.