FRISCO– John Robert Winnicki, 82, passed away on June 29, 2014 in Neptune,N.J., surrounded by his family. He succumbed to lymphoma after a three-month battle. Before entering treatment for his lymphoma in March, Johnwas living at his house in Frisco, enjoying his beloved Cape Hatteraslifestyle.
Surviving John are his three children, John James,Sara Rae, and Eric Thomas, as well as daughter-in-law Linda LavanwayWinnicki and grandchildren, Luke and Liv Winnicki.
John was bornon May 27, 1932 in South Amboy, N.J., the son of John Walter and RoseKosh Winnicki. After graduating from college and a short stint in theU.S. Army, John attended NJIT and got a chemical engineering degree in1956. He worked for many years for Mobil Chemical Co. in Edison, N. J.In 1985, he moved to Baltimore, Md., to finish out his career atValspar.
John married Rae Carole Rasmus on Nov. 20,1960. They raised their three children in Edison and enjoyed all of thefacets of family life in the ’60s and ’70s. The Winnicki children stillfeel the influence of their parents, who passed on their love ofnature, as well as their acceptance of all people. John’s dry wit alsolives on in his children and grandchildren.
John and Raeenjoyed the city life on Charles Street in South Baltimore until 2002.There they would attend classical music concerts throughout the city,as well as become advocates for the city of Baltimore, opening up theirhome to friends and family for many weekend visits. Thanksgivings inBaltimore in the 1980s and ’90s were always memorable weekends forfamily and friends alike. John retired in 2000 and John and Rae movedto Frisco full time in 2003 to enjoy their Hatteras Island paradise.John thought that he was retiring to the beach to fish but instead fellin love with windsurfing. He was fully able to windsurf even up untillast October. His beloved wife Rae passed away in August 2006.
Besideshis retirement obsession with windsurfing, John had a life-long love ofreading with a special interest in science fiction. He loved classicalmusic and also was a big Bob Dylan fan.
A remembrancefor John will be held at Kurzawa Funeral Home in South Amboy, N.J., onThursday, July 3, from 2 until 4 and 7 until 9 p.m.. A memorial servicewill also be held later in the summer in Frisco for him to beremembered by his Outer Banks friends.
