Joseph Matthews Winters, Sr., know affectionately as “Dad”, “Joe” and “Grandpop”, was born on June 13, 1928 in Port Tobacco, Maryland to the late James Matthews and Mary Ophelia Rushton Winters. Joseph, age 90 of La Plata, Maryland, died peacefully on March 16, 2019, at SagePoint Senior Living Facility in La Plata, Maryland after a long battle with dementia and the devastating loss of his Ella Lee from which he never recovered.
Joe was employed as the groundskeeper at the National Guard Armory in La Plata and retired after 34 years of exemplary service. He was also a lifetime member of Sacred Heart Church.
He loved being with his late wife Ella Lee, whom he was married to for 68 years. He loved the outdoors and that is where you would find him most of the time either grilling, gardening, tending to his lawn, strumming his guitar, building things or entertaining the plethora of family and friends who would come visit him and Ella regularly.
He was a strong yet gentle, kind, and loving man who was loved for telling his life’s stories, making jokes, his laughter and never complaining. He was best loved for being a role model to all by instilling the values of hard work, love, forgiveness, compassion, and religion in the lives of his family.
Joe was the father of seven children, 11 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. He also was a father figure to his grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends of his children; some of whom he opened his home to and raised as his own.
Visitation on Friday, March 22, 2019 from 9AM until time of Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 201 St. Mary’s Avenue, La Plata, Maryland 20646. Interment to follow at the church cemetery.
