John Kimble Winkler Jr., 75, was born Jan. 15, 1942, and died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017.
John is survived by his wife, Janet Hansen; four sons, John, Matthew, Stephen and David, and their wives, Laura, Jessica and Amy; eight grandchildren, Alexandra, Nathaniel Logan, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Max, Luke, Scarlett and Abigail; and twin brother, Karl, and younger brother, Eric, and their families.
John grew up in Watseka, Ill., where friends and family knew him as “Kim.” He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1964 among the top of his class. He then served as an Army officer for six years, earning two bronze stars during tours of duty in the Dominican Republic and Vietnam.
He then earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and worked for Corning Glass Works (now Corning Inc.) in New York, Rhode Island, France and Kansas before leading LifeCodes, an innovative biotech company that introduced DNA sequencing to the FBI.
Most recently, John managed hearing-aid centers for Costco Wholesale Corporation in New Jersey, California and North Carolina, earning licensure in all three states. He and Jan had made their home in Wilmington for the past 11 years.
The family will receive visitors from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at Wilmington Funeral and Cremation, 1535 South 41st St., Wilmington.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to support Disabled American Veterans.
Share online condolences with the family at coastalcremations.com.
