G. Thomas Winn, 94, passed away December 14, 2011 at Primrose where he had resided since the fall of 2007.
A native of Huntsville, Missouri, he was born on June 23, 1917, the son of Oscar B. and Minnie (Lay) Winn. He attended Moberly Junior College and the University of Missouri.
He began his career in the communications field in 1937 in Iowa as a telephone lineman for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. He held several supervisory positions in Iowa and Missouri. In 1953 he was transferred to Portsmouth, Ohio as Traffic Manager for Ohio Consolidated Telephone Co. In 1958, after company mergers, he came to Marion working in the personnel department of General Telephone Company of Ohio (now Verizon). In 1959 he was appointed Director of Public Affairs and in 1973, he was promoted to Vice President – Public Affairs. He retired from GTE in 1978, following a 41 year career in the telephone industry. He was very proud to have a son and a grandson follow with careers in the same field.
Mr. Winn was very active in civic work. He served as president of two chambers of commerce, the National Office Managers Association, Kiwanis Club, Tuberculosis Board, and Health Board. He was a member of both the Marion City and Marion County Regional Planning Commissions. He founded the local chapter of Independent Telephone Pioneer Association in 1971 and served as its first president. He was inducted into the Independent Telephone Pioneers Buckeye State Hall of Fame in 1988. He was a member of Crosswood Methodist Church
He was a fifty-year member of the Marion Kiwanis having joined in 1960 and was a past-president and District Lt Governor. For ten years he served on an outside citizens review committee, established under court order, at the Marion Correctional Institute to hear grievances of inmates.
On May 7, 1938, he married Catherine Burton in Rockwell City, Iowa. She died August 7, 1986. On November 25, 1988, he married Elizabeth McKee. She died August 30, 2009.
He was also preceded in death by his siblings, Garland, Joe and Gladys Beckett.
He is survived by a son, Charles (Pat) Winn of McCormick, SC, a daughter, Jo Ann (David) Goss of Hendersonville, NC., three grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a step-daughter, Diana (Vernon) Jones and a step-daughter in law, Pat McKee, and four step grandchildren.
Tom will always be remembered for his steadfast and fulfilling commitment to his family and friends. Tom was a model of respect, equality, and fairness, recognizing always the best in others. He died as his lived, with dignity, grace and humility. Thankfully now he is at peace, and we are all better people for having loved him.
The Winn family expresses its deepest gratitude for the professional and loving care provided to Mr. Winn by the staff at Primrose.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at the Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home, 360 East Center St., Marion from 2PM to 4PM. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Monday at 10AM with Rev. Dan Kiger officiating. Burial will in the Marion Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Crossroads United Methodist Church. Denzer-Farison-Hottinger & Snyder Funeral Home is honored to have been chosen to serve Tom’s family, and condolences may be expressed to them online by visiting www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
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