Gil Winger
25 September 1964 - 26 January 2023
Gil Winger, 58 of Bloomington, passed away at 8:59 pm Thursday January 26, 2023, at Richard L. Owen Hospice Home, Peoria. Gil was born September 25, 1964, in Watseka, Illinois, the son of Gordon & Aldine Pearl (Young) Winger. He married the love of his life Anita Marie Geno on August 8, 1987, in Decatur, Illinois. She survives. Also surviving is his mother; two children: Christian Winger and Anna Winger; one brother: Guy (Sarah) Winger; and one sister: Abby (Bud) Petry. He was preceded in death by his father. His memorial service was held at noon Saturday February 4th, 2023, at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington. Visitation was from 10:00 – noon on Saturday at the funeral home. Rev. Mark Streitmatter and Brad Metz officiated. Gil's best friends, Al Bettuzzi, college roommate, and Jeff Klepec, BPD colleague, gave heartwarming eulogies. A luncheon was provided to the family and close friends following the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorials were made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Richard L. Owens Hospice Home, Peoria, Illinois. Gil served with honor, integrity, and great pride as a police officer for 27 years, but his greatest love was his family and his wife Anita. He was a faithful husband and loving dad, whose family enjoyed Florida vacations, yard games, bonfires and family time. Gil had a passion for yard work: mowing the lawn, gardening amazing flowers and vegetables, and canning his home-grown tomatoes. An avid Illini fan, he always worked at staying strong and healthy with regular weightlifting and enjoyed running half marathons. Gil retired in 2015 at age 50. At age 53, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. In his battle against Alzheimer’s, he was still brave, fought hard, but lost this final battle. He leaves a legacy of honesty, character, and courage. Those are what will live on forever. (Revised Obituary)
birthLocation:Iroquois Hospital, Watseka, Illinois
deathLocation:OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home, Peoria, Illinois
memorialLocation:Calvert-Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, Illinois
hometown:Bloomington, Illinois
parents:Gordon (deceased) and Aldine Winger
siblings:Guy (Sarah) Winger, Abby (Bud) Petry
spouse:Anita (Geno) Winger
children:Christian Winger, Anna Winger
bestFriend:Albert Bettuzzi (college roommate)
education:BS in Criminal Justice and Sociology
occupation:SOS Police Investigator (4/1/1987-4/3/1988); BPD Police Officer (4/4/1988-5/3/2015)
religion:Christian
favouriteColour:Black
favouriteAnimal:Cat
favouriteFlower:Zinnia
favouritePlant:Tomato
favouriteSportsTeams:Illini
favouriteHolidayDestination:Fort Myers Beach, Florida