Leonard Claude Winkler

When Mr. Leonard Claude Winkler Jr walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Wink was and how he impacted those around him. Wink was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Wink wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Wink was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.''''''''''''Wink was born on May 25, 1969 at Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was the son of Leonard and Jeanette Winkler. Wink was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Wink might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Wink was always in pursuit of life'?s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.''''''''''''Wink was raised with 6 siblings. He had four brothers, Stephen, Mark, Gregory and Daniel Hilz and two sisters, Michele and Lorelei Hilz. Wink was very accepting and supportive of his family. ''''''''''''As a young boy, Wink was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Wink was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Wink took part in baseball and bowling. He was a Scout. In his spare time he liked to play video games, basketball with his brother, and loved listening to music. Wink had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.''''''''''''During his high school years, Wink responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Wink was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Wink absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Wink, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Wink a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.''''''''''''With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Wink was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Wink was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Ronald Lambert, J>J. Woods, Buckey Osborn. Later in life, he became friends with Ginny Martino, Debbie Gleason, Jo Dyson, Mike Berg, and many, many others.''''''''''''Wink was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life'?s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Internet Technician. He was employed for the Irvine Company, San Diego, Ca. Wink was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Wink had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Wink's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.''''''''''''Because Wink loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were cooking, going on cruises, walking on the beach. Wink had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Wink's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.''''''''''''Wink derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included walking, dancing, golf and sailing. Wink was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Horse Racing, Baseball, Basketball and Football.''''''''''''Wink's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Wink took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included the Caribbean, Costa Rica and Mexico.''''''''''''Leo (Wink) Winkler passed away on December 27, 2011 at San Diego, California while at home. He is survived by his four brothers, two sisters and Mother, Jan Miller. Services will be in Newport Beach, CA on July 11, 2011. Wink's Scattering of the Ashes will be at sea in California.''''''''''''There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Wink. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Wink Winkler for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Wink was always more than willing to share life'?s experiences with his loved ones.