Homer M. Winegar
Homer Morris Winegar, 90, of Vermontville, Mich. passed away Tuesday, March 9, 2021. He was born in Sunfield Township, Mich. on December 22, 1930. A graduate of Vermontville High School in 1950, Homer served as his class president all four years of high school. He excelled in basketball and baseball with his 1948 and 1949 baseball teams being inducted in the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Homer remained an avid fan of sports and loved attending his children, grandchildren, and then great-grandchildren’s athletic events, as well as any other special activities they participated in.
Homer and his wife, Joan, enjoyed travel, especially to Cadillac and Torch Lake in Mich., and to Anna Maria Island in Fla. Being outdoors brought Homer great joy. He was a passionate fisherman, birdwatcher, and hunter (he got his last buck in 2020 at the age of 90). Other activities that he enjoyed with his family included farming, cutting and splitting firewood, and tractor and wagon rides through his beloved maple woods (a favorite activity of the grand and great-grandchildren).
Service to his community and his church was important to Homer. He and his wife founded and owned Maple Valley Real Estate for over 25 years. An enthusiastic Christian, he served as Board Chairman and Elder and was a member of Vermontville Bible Church for 56 years. He was also Chairman and a founding member of Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya, a Christian youth camp in Shelby, Mich. Homer also served on the Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees.
He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joan E. (Moore) Winegar; sons, Larry (Diane) Winegar, Rick (Shelley)Winegar; grandsons, Adam (Sarah) Winegar, Aaron (Jen) Winegar, Austin (Kaylynn) Winegar and Wade Winegar; granddaughters, Lora (Chris) Katje, Ruth (Shawn) Rosenberger, Renee’ (Frank) Pereiro, Tiffany (Alex) Winegar, Trista (Nick) Parisian, and Tara (Santiago) Martinez; great-grandchildren, Everett, Savanna, Carter, Carissa, Cruz, Conrad, Cecilia, Brody, Owen, Macy, Landon, Aviree, Payten, Emmett, Harrison, and Isaiah. Homer was preceded in death by his son, Tom.
Friends are encouraged to support the Winegar family by sharing memories on his tribute page at PrayFuneral.com. Funeral services were held on Friday, March 12, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Vermontville Bible Church with Pastor Joe Benedict officiating. The funeral was webcast so you may watch it from any computer, smartphone, or mobile device that has internet access. Go to PrayFuneral.com, click on Homer’s tribute, then click on photos and videos from your computer (or media from your smart phone). If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to Vermontville Bible Church or Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.