GALESBURG - Keith Eugene Winship, age 83, formerly of Quincy, passed away on Friday, June 1, 2007, in Galesburg, Ill.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce (nee Crain), and a son, James Winship (USMC).
He is survived by his second wife, Bonnie Nielsen Winship; his son, Steve; daughter-in-law, Sharon; and three terrific grandchildren, Andrea, James, and Lauren.
Keith was born on May 25, 1924, in Putnam, Ill., the son of Walter and Minnie Putcamp Winship. He attended Senachwine Community Schools in Putnam and worked on the family farm. Although he later moved away, Keith never forgot his farming and family roots.
Keith served in the U.S. Army (military police) in World War II and received an honorable discharge.
Upon his discharge, Keith attended flight school in Galesburg and began working for Curry Flight Service as a charter pilot.
In Galesburg, he met Joyce Crain and married her on Oct. 21, 1949. The couple moved to Streator in 1950 where their first son, Steven Keith Winship, was born in 1951. In addition to his flying job, Keith also was a professional musician, playing the trumpet with local bands. He loved music, particularly music from the Big Band Era and Dixieland. He also taught himself to play the ukulele.
The stint at Curry, which included summer crop dusting in Arkansas started with Keith on a long aviation career. In 1956 Keith took a job as a corporate pilot with Gardner Denver Corporation in Quincy, Ill. He spent the next 20 years at Gardner Denver, including a transfer to Dallas, Texas, where the family lived from 1958 until 1964 when they returned to Quincy.
While in Dallas, Keith became a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. When he retired from flying in 2000, Keith had over 25,000 hours of flight time. During his flying career, he flew single-engine and multi-engine aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters.
During his second stint in Quincy, Keith began two activities that would occupy much of his time for the next few years, playing golf and building an airplane. Although he didn't take up golf until the age of 44, he eventually became a low-handicap golfer. With his good friend, Dick Ertel, Keith built an airplane from only plans and raw materials. He first flew that plane, a Volksplane (named so because it had an engine similar to the ones in Volkswagen Beetles) in 1970 and flew it for years to the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) annual fly-in in Oshkosh, Wis.
Keith became an active EAA member and attended Oshkosh annually for several consecutive years.
Keith returned to Dallas in 1974 and later lived in League City, Texas (near Houston). In the mid-1980s, he returned to Quincy. He retired from being a corporate pilot at that time but continued to fly and work as a flight instructor. By Keith's estimate, he taught approximately 100 students to fly, some of whom went on to careers in aviation.
Keith and Joyce were married for very close to 50 years. Following Joyce's death in 1998, Keith married Bonnie Nielsen in Galesburg on Dec. 8, 2001. Bonnie and Joyce were best friends in junior high and high school, and Bonnie's late husband, Robert, played the drums in the same band as Keith.
In August 2000, Keith and his son, Steve, took a two-week trip to England and France. They were able to find the principal place where Keith had been stationed during World War II near Compiegne, France. Keith spoke fondly of that trip for the rest of his life.
In addition to his first wife, Joyce; his son, James; and his parents, Walter and Minnie; Keith was preceded in death by his sister, Eunice; and brothers, Raymond, Kenneth, and Wayne.
His remaining brother, Ralph, survives him.
Keith was a loving husband, an excellent father and grandfather, a proud veteran, an accomplished pilot, a loyal friend and family member, a respected teacher, and a master mechanic. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and cat, Baby.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with the Rev. Rodney Bakker officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Putman Cemetery in Putnam, Ill.
Memorials made in Keith's name to the Quincy Humane Society would be appreciated.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce (nee Crain), and a son, James Winship (USMC).
He is survived by his second wife, Bonnie Nielsen Winship; his son, Steve; daughter-in-law, Sharon; and three terrific grandchildren, Andrea, James, and Lauren.
Keith was born on May 25, 1924, in Putnam, Ill., the son of Walter and Minnie Putcamp Winship. He attended Senachwine Community Schools in Putnam and worked on the family farm. Although he later moved away, Keith never forgot his farming and family roots.
Keith served in the U.S. Army (military police) in World War II and received an honorable discharge.
Upon his discharge, Keith attended flight school in Galesburg and began working for Curry Flight Service as a charter pilot.
In Galesburg, he met Joyce Crain and married her on Oct. 21, 1949. The couple moved to Streator in 1950 where their first son, Steven Keith Winship, was born in 1951. In addition to his flying job, Keith also was a professional musician, playing the trumpet with local bands. He loved music, particularly music from the Big Band Era and Dixieland. He also taught himself to play the ukulele.
The stint at Curry, which included summer crop dusting in Arkansas started with Keith on a long aviation career. In 1956 Keith took a job as a corporate pilot with Gardner Denver Corporation in Quincy, Ill. He spent the next 20 years at Gardner Denver, including a transfer to Dallas, Texas, where the family lived from 1958 until 1964 when they returned to Quincy.
While in Dallas, Keith became a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. When he retired from flying in 2000, Keith had over 25,000 hours of flight time. During his flying career, he flew single-engine and multi-engine aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters.
During his second stint in Quincy, Keith began two activities that would occupy much of his time for the next few years, playing golf and building an airplane. Although he didn't take up golf until the age of 44, he eventually became a low-handicap golfer. With his good friend, Dick Ertel, Keith built an airplane from only plans and raw materials. He first flew that plane, a Volksplane (named so because it had an engine similar to the ones in Volkswagen Beetles) in 1970 and flew it for years to the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) annual fly-in in Oshkosh, Wis.
Keith became an active EAA member and attended Oshkosh annually for several consecutive years.
Keith returned to Dallas in 1974 and later lived in League City, Texas (near Houston). In the mid-1980s, he returned to Quincy. He retired from being a corporate pilot at that time but continued to fly and work as a flight instructor. By Keith's estimate, he taught approximately 100 students to fly, some of whom went on to careers in aviation.
Keith and Joyce were married for very close to 50 years. Following Joyce's death in 1998, Keith married Bonnie Nielsen in Galesburg on Dec. 8, 2001. Bonnie and Joyce were best friends in junior high and high school, and Bonnie's late husband, Robert, played the drums in the same band as Keith.
In August 2000, Keith and his son, Steve, took a two-week trip to England and France. They were able to find the principal place where Keith had been stationed during World War II near Compiegne, France. Keith spoke fondly of that trip for the rest of his life.
In addition to his first wife, Joyce; his son, James; and his parents, Walter and Minnie; Keith was preceded in death by his sister, Eunice; and brothers, Raymond, Kenneth, and Wayne.
His remaining brother, Ralph, survives him.
Keith was a loving husband, an excellent father and grandfather, a proud veteran, an accomplished pilot, a loyal friend and family member, a respected teacher, and a master mechanic. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and cat, Baby.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with the Rev. Rodney Bakker officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Putman Cemetery in Putnam, Ill.
Memorials made in Keith's name to the Quincy Humane Society would be appreciated.
GALESBURG - Keith Eugene Winship, age 83, formerly of Quincy, passed away on Friday, June 1, 2007, in Galesburg, Ill.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce (nee Crain), and a son, James Winship (USMC).
He is survived by his second wife, Bonnie Nielsen Winship; his son, Steve; daughter-in-law, Sharon; and three terrific grandchildren, Andrea, James, and Lauren.
Keith was born on May 25, 1924, in Putnam, Ill., the son of Walter and Minnie Putcamp Winship. He attended Senachwine Community Schools in Putnam and worked on the family farm. Although he later moved away, Keith never forgot his farming and family roots.
Keith served in the U.S. Army (military police) in World War II and received an honorable discharge.
Upon his discharge, Keith attended flight school in Galesburg and began working for Curry Flight Service as a charter pilot.
In Galesburg, he met Joyce Crain and married her on Oct. 21, 1949. The couple moved to Streator in 1950 where their first son, Steven Keith Winship, was born in 1951. In addition to his flying job, Keith also was a professional musician, playing the trumpet with local bands. He loved music, particularly music from the Big Band Era and Dixieland. He also taught himself to play the ukulele.
The stint at Curry, which included summer crop dusting in Arkansas started with Keith on a long aviation career. In 1956 Keith took a job as a corporate pilot with Gardner Denver Corporation in Quincy, Ill. He spent the next 20 years at Gardner Denver, including a transfer to Dallas, Texas, where the family lived from 1958 until 1964 when they returned to Quincy.
While in Dallas, Keith became a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. When he retired from flying in 2000, Keith had over 25,000 hours of flight time. During his flying career, he flew single-engine and multi-engine aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters.
During his second stint in Quincy, Keith began two activities that would occupy much of his time for the next few years, playing golf and building an airplane. Although he didn't take up golf until the age of 44, he eventually became a low-handicap golfer. With his good friend, Dick Ertel, Keith built an airplane from only plans and raw materials. He first flew that plane, a Volksplane (named so because it had an engine similar to the ones in Volkswagen Beetles) in 1970 and flew it for years to the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) annual fly-in in Oshkosh, Wis.
Keith became an active EAA member and attended Oshkosh annually for several consecutive years.
Keith returned to Dallas in 1974 and later lived in League City, Texas (near Houston). In the mid-1980s, he returned to Quincy. He retired from being a corporate pilot at that time but continued to fly and work as a flight instructor. By Keith's estimate, he taught approximately 100 students to fly, some of whom went on to careers in aviation.
Keith and Joyce were married for very close to 50 years. Following Joyce's death in 1998, Keith married Bonnie Nielsen in Galesburg on Dec. 8, 2001. Bonnie and Joyce were best friends in junior high and high school, and Bonnie's late husband, Robert, played the drums in the same band as Keith.
In August 2000, Keith and his son, Steve, took a two-week trip to England and France. They were able to find the principal place where Keith had been stationed during World War II near Compiegne, France. Keith spoke fondly of that trip for the rest of his life.
In addition to his first wife, Joyce; his son, James; and his parents, Walter and Minnie; Keith was preceded in death by his sister, Eunice; and brothers, Raymond, Kenneth, and Wayne.
His remaining brother, Ralph, survives him.
Keith was a loving husband, an excellent father and grandfather, a proud veteran, an accomplished pilot, a loyal friend and family member, a respected teacher, and a master mechanic. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and cat, Baby.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with the Rev. Rodney Bakker officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Putman Cemetery in Putnam, Ill.
Memorials made in Keith's name to the Quincy Humane Society would be appreciated.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Joyce (nee Crain), and a son, James Winship (USMC).
He is survived by his second wife, Bonnie Nielsen Winship; his son, Steve; daughter-in-law, Sharon; and three terrific grandchildren, Andrea, James, and Lauren.
Keith was born on May 25, 1924, in Putnam, Ill., the son of Walter and Minnie Putcamp Winship. He attended Senachwine Community Schools in Putnam and worked on the family farm. Although he later moved away, Keith never forgot his farming and family roots.
Keith served in the U.S. Army (military police) in World War II and received an honorable discharge.
Upon his discharge, Keith attended flight school in Galesburg and began working for Curry Flight Service as a charter pilot.
In Galesburg, he met Joyce Crain and married her on Oct. 21, 1949. The couple moved to Streator in 1950 where their first son, Steven Keith Winship, was born in 1951. In addition to his flying job, Keith also was a professional musician, playing the trumpet with local bands. He loved music, particularly music from the Big Band Era and Dixieland. He also taught himself to play the ukulele.
The stint at Curry, which included summer crop dusting in Arkansas started with Keith on a long aviation career. In 1956 Keith took a job as a corporate pilot with Gardner Denver Corporation in Quincy, Ill. He spent the next 20 years at Gardner Denver, including a transfer to Dallas, Texas, where the family lived from 1958 until 1964 when they returned to Quincy.
While in Dallas, Keith became a lifelong fan of the Dallas Cowboys. When he retired from flying in 2000, Keith had over 25,000 hours of flight time. During his flying career, he flew single-engine and multi-engine aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters.
During his second stint in Quincy, Keith began two activities that would occupy much of his time for the next few years, playing golf and building an airplane. Although he didn't take up golf until the age of 44, he eventually became a low-handicap golfer. With his good friend, Dick Ertel, Keith built an airplane from only plans and raw materials. He first flew that plane, a Volksplane (named so because it had an engine similar to the ones in Volkswagen Beetles) in 1970 and flew it for years to the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) annual fly-in in Oshkosh, Wis.
Keith became an active EAA member and attended Oshkosh annually for several consecutive years.
Keith returned to Dallas in 1974 and later lived in League City, Texas (near Houston). In the mid-1980s, he returned to Quincy. He retired from being a corporate pilot at that time but continued to fly and work as a flight instructor. By Keith's estimate, he taught approximately 100 students to fly, some of whom went on to careers in aviation.
Keith and Joyce were married for very close to 50 years. Following Joyce's death in 1998, Keith married Bonnie Nielsen in Galesburg on Dec. 8, 2001. Bonnie and Joyce were best friends in junior high and high school, and Bonnie's late husband, Robert, played the drums in the same band as Keith.
In August 2000, Keith and his son, Steve, took a two-week trip to England and France. They were able to find the principal place where Keith had been stationed during World War II near Compiegne, France. Keith spoke fondly of that trip for the rest of his life.
In addition to his first wife, Joyce; his son, James; and his parents, Walter and Minnie; Keith was preceded in death by his sister, Eunice; and brothers, Raymond, Kenneth, and Wayne.
His remaining brother, Ralph, survives him.
Keith was a loving husband, an excellent father and grandfather, a proud veteran, an accomplished pilot, a loyal friend and family member, a respected teacher, and a master mechanic. He was much loved and will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and cat, Baby.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2007, at Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with the Rev. Rodney Bakker officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Putman Cemetery in Putnam, Ill.
Memorials made in Keith's name to the Quincy Humane Society would be appreciated.
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