Community pays tribute to Winter
Jason Winter
MFL MarMac McGregor Center students wave American flags as a law enforcement procession for Jason Winter passed by Sept. 5. Winter was a coach and volunteer, law enforcement professional and family man who passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 1 at age 49. (Submitted photo)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac community last week honored the life of Jason Winter, a coach and volunteer, law enforcement professional and family man who passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 1 at age 49.
Hundreds attended celebration of life and funeral services and paid tribute as a law enforcement procession escorted him to Monona earlier in the week, then to St. Mary’s Cemetery in McGregor on Friday. Students at the MFL MarMac McGregor Center, where Winter’s wife Kelly and daughter-in-law Kiersten are teachers, even waved American flags as the line of vehicles passed through town Sept. 5.
The crowd observed a moment of silence before the MFL MarMac football game against New Hampton—which is, coincidentally, from where Winter graduated high school in 1992.
Winter played high school sports at New Hampton and later college basketball at Waldorf and Wartburg. A few months ago, he was selected for induction into the New Hampton High School Athletic Hall of Fame—an honor he would have received at a New Hampton football game on Sept. 29.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in social work, Winter completed the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Law Enforcement Academy at Camp Dodge and was hired as a gaming enforcement officer for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). He was later promoted to special agent II and served all 27 years of his career in the Marquette office.
While in Marquette, Winter and his family became enmeshed in the community, as he coached youth basketball and later became assistant of the MFL MarMac girls varsity basketball team. He took over as head coach in 2017, leading the Bulldogs to a 106-30 record and three Upper Iowa Conference championships in that span.
Winter also previously served on the Marquette City Council and was an active community volunteer.
Most importantly, though, he was a friend and father with a “huge heart of gold,” said daughter Blair at Winter’s funeral on Sept. 8 in the MFL MarMac High School Gymnasium. “He loved every one of you here today.”
Blair, along with siblings Bailey and Blake and Winter’s father, John, eulogized the beloved man for all those gathered at the service, speaking to his competitive spirit, humor, willingness to help others and love for family and friends.
“Those who knew him best knew him as a compassionate, competitive, fiery and everyone-before-himself kind of person,” described son Blake. “I always knew my dad was involved in the community in various ways. The impact he had, though, is something I would have sold a little short until recently. Whether it be the lessons he instilled in his girls basketball team in this very gym, or the various volunteer organizations he gave his time to, my dad always found a way to make sure those who needed his help had his undivided attention. He created a legacy of doing things the right way every time, no matter how long it takes.”
It was fitting, said Blake, for Winter to be honored on the court where he devoted so much of his time and care to others.
“He will leave the court an accomplished professional, a tremendous asset to his community and one hell of a dad,” Blake concluded.
A full obituary can found at: graufuneralhomes.com/2023/09/jason-john-wintermarquette-iowa-september-1-2023/.
