Larry Richard Winstead (1946-2019)

WINSTEAD, BULLARD, CREEL, SIMMONS, REED, BLOMGREN, CARSWELL, STROTHER, WALTERS, RIBBLE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/4/2019 at 21:52:24

From Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel, Boone, Iowa.

Larry Richard Winstead of Ames, died peacefully at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames on April 11, 2019, in the presence of his devoted wife and family, after a courageous seven-year battle with colon cancer and kidney disease. He was 72 years old.

A Celebration of Larry’s Life, will be Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 11:00 a.m., at the First Baptist Church in Boone, with Rev. Janell Bloem officiating. Burial will be in the Squire Boone Cemetery, south of Boone.

Friends may call at the Church on Tuesday, from 9 a.m. until service time. The family will be present beginning at 10 a.m.

The second of four sons born to Jesse and Louise (Bullard) Winstead, Larry was born in Iuka, Mississippi on Mary 21, 1946. His father was a World War II veteran who was a career radio instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The family made their home in nearby Pascagoula, Mississippi, residing within a few blocks of the Gulf of Mexico. Larry remembered fondly his childhood home and friends and often shared stories of their escapades. The son of a Little League baseball coach, Larry grew up playing baseball. Family was of primary importance to Larry. His fondest memories were of family gatherings with north Mississippi maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. A proud father who worked hard to provide for his family, he believed in working hard and playing hard and was devoted to helping hone his children’s athletic talents, engaging with them in athletic events throughout the Gulf Coast and regional states.

An avid fisherman and outdoorsman, Larry enjoyed both freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting deer, and RV camping before his health deteriorated. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and family exploring various parts of the Midwest, Branson, Wisconsin Dells, Smoky Mountains, Colorado Rockies, and the Gulf Coast region. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him as a down-to-earth, easy going man with a playful spirit, big heart, and kind and gentle nature.

In 1965, Larry graduated from Pascagoula High School where he was a star athlete and earned acclimation for himself and his school as a gifted left-handed baseball pitcher. Larry began playing varsity baseball as a 9th grader and ended his high school pitching career with a record-setting no hitter championship game that set the bar high for those who followed. Upon graduation, he was awarded a scholarship that would have culminated in his signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, he chose to serve six years with the Mississippi National Guard and began his employment career on the Gulf Coast.

He married his first wife, Debbie (Simmons) Creel and worked various jobs to provide for their growing family before joining the Pascagoula School System where he was employed more than 17 years as a HVAC technician. In 1977, an on-the job injury forced him to retire early due to disability.

On April 9, 2005, Larry and Patricia Blomgren Reed were married on the beach in Ocean Springs, Mississippi surrounded by their family and close friends.

Mourning his passing are his beloved wife, Patricia, of Ames; step-daughter, Angela (Joe) Carswell and grandsons, Jacob Carswell, Isaac Carswell, and Drew Carswell, of Boone; step-son, Troy (Jenny Tingwald) Strother and grandsons, Sam Strother and Ben Strother of rural Boone; daughter, Tammy (Trisha Buckner) Winstead of Florida; son, Ricky (Dianna) Winstead of Gautier, MS; and daughters, Tracy (Kevin) Walters of Pascagoula, MS, and Lori (Brian) Ribble of Mobile, AL; ten grandchildren and one great-grandson, all of the Gulf Coast region; his brothers, Gene Winstead, Mike Winstead, and Butch Winstead; special friends, Brandi Neys and Christy and McKinley McCloud; numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

In memory of Larry, memorials may be directed to Larry’s wife, Patricia, to be used at the family’s discretion.