Andy CloseDavid Wesley Winans, 90, of Warren, Pa,, died peacefully at the John and Orpha Blair Hospice House on Dec. 21, 2021.
David was born on June 11, 1931, in Warren, Pa., to the late Cecil Carpenter Winans and Helen St John Winans.
David was a 1949 graduate of Warren High School. He served in the U.S. Army as a staff sargent and M.P., stateside, during the Korean War. David attended Allegheny College graduating in 1955. He worked for the Bell Telephone Company for a time and then returned to Warren where he purchased his father’s insurance business in 1959.
David loved and served his community well. He joined the First United Methodist Church in 1942 and served as a trustee, treasurer, and a member of many committees. He spent 12 years on the Borough Council and served on the executive board of the Boys Scouts of America for 25 years. He was the Scout-master of Troop 9 and received the Silver Beaver Award. David also served as the president and drive chairman for the United Way.
He served on the boards of Family Services, the Ruth M. Smith Center, and the Warren Borough Sanitary Authority. David was a trustee for the Struthers Library Theatre for many years. He was a 60 plus year member of the Masonic North Star Lodge 241, the Coudersport Consistory, the Kiwanis Club, and the Conewango Club.
Not one to be sedentary, he was an accomplished swimmer, logging 2400 miles in the YMCA pool. He was an avid hunter and hiker and enjoyed fishing at the family cottage in Canada. He loved sailing on the Kinzua Reservoir and later made many boat trips up and down the East Coast. David was always delighted to see his grandchildren and especially enjoyed his great-grandchildren.
David is survived by his children: David Graff Winans and his wife, Crissi, and Julia Winans McTavish and her husband, Scott, all of Warren: three grand-daughters: Jessica St. John Winans (Weston Miller) of Springfield, Ore., Katelyn Elaine Gilmore (Dr. Eric) of Warren, and Rachel St. John McTavish of Buffalo, N,Y.; three great-grandchildren: Tiera Ann Miller, Grayson David Gilmore, and Jackson Theodore Gilmore; a brother, Dennis Craig Winans; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, David was preceded in death on Dec. 12, 2020, by his wife, Gretchen Graff Winans, whom he married on Sept. 8, 1956; and a sister, Martha Jane Winans.
A memorial service for David and his wife, Gretchen Graff Winans, who passed away on Dec, 12, 2020, will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, in the Sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church (for social distancing reasons), with the Rev. Mike Rutenbur, visitation pastor, officiating. A reception will follow at the Conewango Club.
Memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church 300 Market St., Warren, Pa, or the Struthers Library Theatre 302 W. Third Ave. Warren, Pa.
