Johnson "Johns" Winship ’44
Johnson "Johns" Winship, 87, a long-time resident of Simsbury, CT, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2016 at Seabury in Bloomfield, CT, where he had recently moved with his wife, Ann.
Born January 11, 1929 in Plattsburgh, NY, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wilson Winship. Johns grew up in New Canaan, CT. He was a graduate of Westminster School in Simsbury and Cornell University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Hotel Administration. He was also a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity. After graduation, he served three years in the Army as an officer. He served two years in France at Captieux near Bordeaux, where he was in charge of the Commissary and the Officers' Club. He later became a Business Manager at Westminster School and Renbrook School. Johns was a member of the Business Managers' Council of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and on the faculty for long-range planning for the National Association of Independent Schools. A long-term class agent, Johns was elected as a Westminster Fellow and received the School's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. He was an active volunteer in the town of Simsbury and was the first Chairman of the Simsbury Water Pollution Authority. He was also on the Board of the Farmington River Watershed Association and the Roaring Brook Nature Center. He was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, Society of Colonial Wars, Founders and Patriots of America, Sons of the American Revolution, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery of Massachusetts, and a descendant of the Founders of Ancient Windsor Society.
Beloved husband of Ann Williams Winship and loving father of three children, David Edwards Winship and his wife Tracy B. Huntington of Dover, MA; Katharine Beckett Winship and her partner Richard Thurston of Black Mountain, NC; and Nancy Winship Milliken and her husband, Andrew S. Milliken of Northampton, MA; four grandchildren, Liza K. Winship, Nick M. Winship, Margot W. Milliken, Charles A. Milliken and two step grandchildren, Louis B. Hager III, and Alicia B. Hager; brother Arthur W. Winship of Antelope, California; sister in law Sudie Schenck Goodwin and 3 nephews, Hilbert Van Nydeck Schenck and his wife Michon, Christopher Schenck and his wife Eroica, and Garret Schenck, III. Johns was passionate about his music and sports. He touched so many lives with his great sense of humor, mischievous stories, and unwavering loyalty to his institutions and friends. He is loved and will be missed by his family and friends of every generation.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 3:00 PM on Thursday, August 11 at Andrews Memorial Chapel at Westminster School, 995 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, CT. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Scholarship Fund, Westminster School, Simsbury, CT and Seabury Charitable Foundation, 200 Seabury Drive, Bloomfield, CT.
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
