William E. Winckler

A Life Well-lived

On December 6^th William (Bill) Edward Winckler of Sioux City, Iowa departed to join his wife Shirley, who died in March 2019 after nearly 65 years of marriage.

Private Graveside Services will be held at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley, Iowa.  Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel.  Online condolences may be given at www.meyerbroschapels.com. 

Much to their chagrin, he loved each of his four children equally (Catherine, James, Susan, and Thomas). To his children’s further discomfort, he loved each of his nine grandchildren more.

While he described his own musical abilities as being able to carry a tune “only in a basket,” he attended more than 99% of his children’s musical and theatric activities and survived their ill-fated athletic forays. In various iterations of station wagons, full-sized vans, and a minivan, he transported handbells and tables, a marimba, ballet costumes, and all-things-needed for a college dorm room across the state and the country. He could fit more children in a car and more boxes in a van than most other people.

Following his formative years in Davenport, Iowa with four sisters to keep him on the straight and narrow, he ventured to the University of Iowa for pharmacy school. There he met Shirley (Albrecht) and began their lifetime together with a break for his service in the US Army for two years just after college. Their marriage withstood sharing their profession (including practicing pharmacy at Lloyd & Myers and participating in the Iowa Pharmacy Association), generating and raising the previously mentioned children, running a pharmacy-related small business together (including sharing office space, if not the commute), and emerging as pillars of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School. Bill’s faith was a defining element of his life, directing him to serve in many volunteer roles and—when others were not available—signing up his family to serve as the facility’s custodian. Transitioning from worshiping in a pew to worshiping with his hands, literally, was indicative of his approach to service: act rather than speak and perform in glory to God rather than glory to oneself.

We expect he will appreciate the view of the Sioux City Explorers’ and Chicago Cubs’ baseball games from heaven and may try to exert some divine intervention for them as well.

He is joining the following family members in heaven’s stadium: his wife Shirley, his parents (Edward and Pearl), his sister Marguerite, and his brother Gordon. Cheering on from earthly stadiums (and church pews) are his offspring and their families: Catherine Brown (Gary and granddaughter Catie), James (grandson William and granddaughters Mary Beth and Ivey), Susan (John Giglio, grandson Luke, and granddaughter Madelyn), and Thomas (Laura, grandson Eric, and granddaughters Robin and Molly), and his sisters Nancy Boldt, Carol Ann Felske, and Sally Flesch.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Siouxland Blood Bank (to join the gallons of blood Bill donated, beginning as a teenager), Hospice of Siouxland, or the Albrecht/Winckler Scholarship at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy.