We are sad to announce the passing of William Henry Winter of Springfield, Missouri. Bill was born September 6 ^th , 1937 in Rock Rapids, Iowa and died December 26 ^th , 2022 in Ava, Missouri.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Pete and Mary, his siblings Mildred, Marie, Richard and Leotta and hisstepson, Matthew Brown and a number of other loved ones.

He is survived by his wife Barbara, his children - Kathy and her husband Mike, Jeffrey and his wife Camilla, Kurtis and his wife Donna, Dustin, Michael Brown and his wife April and daughter-in-law Kelly Brown; his 11grandchildren – Kelsey, Ethan, Mackenzie, Amber, Samantha, Catharina, Courtney, Caleb, Bailey, Evan and Mallory; his 2 great grandchildren – Lauren and Dmitri and his first wife – Margaret Schubert.

Bill had 4 great themes in his life – the aerospace industry, a culinary interest, working with his hands and as abusiness owner.

Bill played football in high school and for one year of college before enlisting in the Air Force and wasstationed in Greenland. After leaving the service, Bill worked as an auto mechanic in Merced, Californiaand met his first wife and started a family.

Bill moved the family to Seattle to begin a career at Boeing as an aerospace mechanic and was proud tohave worked on the first 747. After being laid off temporarily, Bill embraced a culinary career and was trained as achef, before returning to Boeing.

The culinary bug made Bill decide to move his family to his hometown of Rock Rapids and start his own restaurant,the Lion's Den. It was a traditional drive-in diner with carhops and the High School Player of the Week honors made it the unofficial headquarters for the Central Lyon sports teams.

Bill re-entered the aerospace industry in San Diego with Rohr after his divorce from his first wife. There he met his second wife, Barbara. They were foster parents to many children and ultimately adopted their son,Dustin.

Bill decided to bring his aerospace career to a close and to become a business owner again buying a gas station close to his hometown in Ellsworth, Minnesota. After a couple of years, Bill sold the business and moved to Springfield to be closer to Barbara's sons from a previous marriage.

Bill kept busy woodworking, gardening, driving Head Start school buses, driving community transport for theelderly and handicapped, and as a crossing guard for school kids.

Bill will be missed by family, friends, colleagues and neighbors.

A graveside service will be held Friday, January 27, 2023, at 3pm at Missouri Veterans Cemetery, 5201 S. Southwood Road, Springfield, MO 65804.