RICHARD EUGENE WINS, II, affectionately known as “Buddy”, was born on July 8, 1929 in Hawthorne, Florida. He was the fifth child, and first boy of eighteen children born to proud parents, Richard and Carritha Wynn. He was raised with a strong Christian foundation and surrounded by love. The family later moved to Cocoa, Florida where he received his formal education.
During the early 1940s, Richard served in the United States Army. Although his stint was very short, he was extremely proud to be of service to his country.
Richard met the love of his life, Miss Ella Mae Reddick, when they both were merely children. The Reddick and Wynn families were two of the largest families in Cocoa during that time, and they lived across the street and down a few houses from each other. To top it off, their mothers were best friends. Richard and Ella Mae’s destiny was just waiting to be revealed.
On January 19, 1947, Richard united in marriage with his soulmate and best friend, Ella Mae. The two later relocated to California. Their union was beautifully blessed: with four children: Richard III; twins, Garry and Barry; and their only daughter and youngest child, Peaches. On March 9, 2004, after fifty-seven years of marriage, Richard’s beloved wife Ella Mae, was called home to be with the Lord.
During the late 1950s, Richard began employment with the Transportation Division at 32nd Street Naval Base as a Civil Service employee, ultimately rising to the position of Foreman. He retired in 1984 after thirty-five years of service in excellence. During his tenure with Civil Service, Richard made many long-lasting friendships, which continued even after retirement. Richard deeply enjoyed working in the Transportation Department, which he often shared memories of with others as recently as a few weeks prior to his passing.
Richard was a member of Mt. Erie Baptist Church for more than forty years under the spiritual guidance of Dr. Walter G. Wells. He attended Sunday School and Church services regularly and served wherever he was needed. His greatest position at Mt. Erie was being a ‘Doorkeeper for the Lord”. He began serving as an usher immediately after joining the Mt. Erie Family. He served until his health prevented him from attending services. He loved his pastor, his church, and his church family, but above all he truly loved the Lord and he knew the Lord loved him.
Richard was like a quiet storm, soft spoken and he did not need a lot of words to get his point across. He kept it short, simple and clear; but when he did speak it was genuine and well-understood. He was kind, loving and generous. He had an awkward sense of humor; He would catch you off guard with his jabs and zingers, that it ultimately ended up being funny. He was slow to anger and never engaged in gossip, yet he was one to invite peace in such situations. He loved his family unconditionally and they loved him too. During the early years, he was known for his strong work ethics. One of his favorite pastimes was watching a San Diego Padre game on television.
Richard was preceded in death by his wife; his sons: Richard E. Wins III and Garry Wins.
On Thursday, January 23, 2020, Richard Eugene Wins, II was called home from earthly labor to eternal rest. He leaves to cherish his memory his daughter, Peaches Wins Howell (Tariq); his son, Barry Wins; granddaughters: Tiffani Evans, Renita Wins, Zina Wins and Ella-Shawntae Wins-Dorsey (Michael) all of San Diego, CA, Shatelle Wins of New York; grandson, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Dante Wins (Marcia); great grandson, David Wins and great granddaughter, Jordan Wins, all of Ft. Bliss, Texas; three brothers: Curbie Wynn (Rebecca) and John Wynn of Cocoa Florida, and Nathaniel Wynn (Ethel) of Rochester, New York; three sister: Mable Osborne of Rockledge, FL; Carrie Wynn of Las Vegas, NV and Ruth Williams of Newark, NJ; longtime friend, Pearl Granville of San Diego, CA; and a host of other relatives, Mt. Erie Baptist Church Family and many friends.
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