Gil Winger Obituary (1964 - 2023) - Bloomington, Illinois

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 will be at noon Saturday February 4th at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 10:00 - noon on Saturday at the funeral home. Rev. Mark Streitmatter will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be 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 2014 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. The family would like to thank the management and staff at the Richard L. Owens Hospice Home for the amazing care provided to Gil. He was treated with compassion and dignity through his final hours.