Kenneth Dean Winkelman, 71, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, and formerly of Perry died peacefully at his home Dec. 14, 2021.
Ken (Wink) was born Aug. 30, 1950, in Jefferson, Iowa.
He was a 1968 graduate of Perry High School and went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial arts and psychology from Northwest Missouri State University, where he met and married his college sweetheart, Deborah Eddy.
Ken was creative and innovative, holding a variety of jobs throughout his career, but he found his passion working as the production/operations manager for setup of tradeshow and museum displays. To name a few he was most proud of: “The Delicate Balance” exhibit at the Iowa Historical Building; “Titanic, The Exhibition,” in St Paul, Minnesota, and Atlantic City, N.J.; and the Ellis Island Visitor Center in New York, N.Y..
This success led to Ken starting his own business, On-Site I & D Services.
However, his favorite moments were time spent with their son Jeremy’s family, adventures with his grandchildren and sharing his life’s stories.
Ken was at home in the ocean waves or exploring the mountains, but he also had a lifelong passion for participating in Classic Car Shows, attending the Indy 500, building his 1936 Ford Truck and driving his 1963 Pontiac Le Mans for pure enjoyment.
Ken’s sanctuary was his backyard. It started with a shed of his own design and then blossomed into a beautiful place of peacefulness that included a stone bridge, rock pond and fountain. He loved landscaping, woodworking, remodeling and collecting and displaying rocks from the many places he had been.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Dorothy Winkelman; brothers, Merle and Brian Winkelman; brother-in-law, Michael Murphy; and his beloved dogs from over the years, Diesel, Woody, Roscoe and Brandy.
Survivors include his wife, Deborah Winkelman; son, Jeremy (Jennifer) Winkelman; grandchildren, Andrew and Tyler Winkelman; brother, John (Judy) Winkelman; sisters, Marilyn (Dave) Dvorak and Marcia Murphy; mother-in-law, Janece Eddy; sisters-in-law, Julie (Mike) Niehaus and Linda Winkelman; many nieces and nephews; and a multitude of friends.
A memorial service will be held Dec. 30 at 11:30 a.m. at the Carris Family Funeral Home and Cremation Care at 1721 Park St. in Perry, with visitation beginning at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is encouraged to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Memorials preferred to his wife, Deborah Winkelman.
