Carmen María Ortiz Winter, 101, known to friends and family as Minín, passed from this life peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, January 15, 2022. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilfrid (Bill) Winter, her son, David Winter, her parents, Germán and María Teresa Ortiz, and her sisters Adelita (Wally) Wallace, Teté (Ernesto) Ruíz, Marina (Harry) Smith, and Haydée (Wayne) Drake.
Minín began her long life in Carolina, Puerto Rico. From the stories she told, she had a wonderful and happy childhood on that beautiful tropical island with her large and loving family. She attended college in Michigan where she perfected her English and adapted to a different culture and climate. Minín met Bill Winter when she returned home to Puerto Rico after graduation, during WWII. He was an officer in the US Army stationed there. They were married in Puerto Rico and when the war was over, they moved to his home state of Massachusetts where all their four children were born. After ten years there, they moved to Miami, Fla. and then to Greenville. Later, Minín taught high school home economics, then English and Spanish. She was a good influence on her students, and many have kept in touch with her. After retirement, she and her husband traveled in the U. S. and abroad, spent winters in Naples, Fla., and enjoyed extended family at several large family reunions.
Minín enjoyed life and was always ready to learn new things and improve herself. In 2019, she moved to Lexington to an independent living apartment where she enjoyed the company of many new friends and was active and sociable to the end. She even chronicled stories of her life in a book she published for family in the summer of 2022. She was blessed to have lived almost 102 good years and will be sorely missed by her loving family and friends.
Survivors include her daughters, Marjorie (Jim) Herald, Dianne (David) Jernigan, and Connie (Walt) Meriwether; daughter-in-law, Lisa Bethel Winter; brother, Germán Ortiz; eight beloved grandchildren and nine precious great grandchildren.
Visitation will be private due to COVID restrictions. There will be a graveside service on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery with Rev. Paul Moore officiating. We ask that you wear a mask if you would like to attend. Gary’s Funeral Home in Greenville is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to any of Minín’s favorite charities. These are Shriner’s Hospital (https://lovetotherescue.org/) , Michael J. Fox Foundation(https://www.michaeljfox.org/donate) , and the Wounded Warrior’s Project(https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate) .
