Norman Daniel Winton died April 6th, 2023, at the age of 79 – the day before his 80th birthday. Vibrant and generous, Norm led an interesting life that he lived to the fullest. He was a skilled and creative home cook, keen world traveler, gifted athlete, engaging storyteller and salesman, relaxed hobby farmer, and beloved husband, dad, brother, uncle, grandpa, and friend.
The first child born to Norman and Edna (Pope) Winton on April 7th, 1943 in Abbotsford, BC, Norm spent the first decade of his life in Canada before the family moved to Seattle, Washington. There, he attended James A. Garfield High School, where he made lifelong friends and credited the school’s diversity as a key building block for his future professional success. During these formative years, Norm discovered he excelled in sports such as basketball, track, and especially football. Upon graduation in 1961, he received a scholarship to attend Oregon State University, where he majored in Chemistry and played defensive tackle for the Beavers; the team went so far as to appear in the 1965 Rose Bowl (he was proud to attend the team’s induction into the Oregon State University Athletics Hall of Fame with several members of his family in 2004). After graduation, Norm returned to Canada and played professional football in the CFL for three years with the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, participating in a second celebrated sporting event in 1967 - the Grey Cup. Securing a job as a sales rep with Beckman Instruments in 1967, Norm returned to the Seattle area where he married Carolyn (Enstrom) Winton and the couple had two children.
In 1972, Norm began what would be a 25-year career working his way up from salesman to executive at Measurex, one of the first companies to develop computer control systems for industry. Norm’s career took him around the world – North and South America, Europe, and Asia - he once calculated that he had spent more than 200 days out of one year on the road. His job brought his family along on moves up and down the West Coast and further afield, from the Seattle area to southern California, and to England, back to Washington, and then to the Bay Area in Danville, California where they lived for a decade. He loved cooking elaborate holiday meals, vacationing in tropical locales, and working on his golf and tennis games.
During his time working and living in Singapore, Norm met Fanny Kwan and they married. After Measurex was bought by Honeywell in 1997, Norm retired and he and Fanny moved to Kauai where they ran a small flower and fruit farm for several years. The couple had a daughter and moved to the Big Island of Hawaii where Norm dabbled in running a macadamia nut farm before they settled in Waikoloa. He loved puttering around his farms, entertaining and cooking for family and friends who visited, trading stocks, and continuing to travel the world, including several cruises and stops in one of his favorite destinations, Las Vegas.
Norm had a happy spirit and enjoyed music, bursting into song at special occasions or everyday occasions. Even though Norm left us too soon, he lived an extraordinary life surrounded by friends and family who loved him dearly. He will be missed.
Norm is survived by his wife Fanny Kwan; children Erika Winton (Jeremy Nelson), Tyler Winton, and Min Winton; siblings Margaret Weiler, Karol (Tom) Bakamus, and Steve Winton; and grandchildren Wilder and Piper Nelson.
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