Ernest Lee Winsor

Ernie Lee Winsor, our wonderful, humorous, charming, warm family man and true friend, passed away peacefully on May 16, 2024, surrounded by his family at the Palo Alto VA Hospital after a fast and hard battle with pancreatic cancer. Ernie left this world better than he found it, sharing an abundance of love and joy and depth with the people in his life.

Ernie was born on December 17, 1940, in Crawford, CO, the fourth of 14 children. He grew up on a ranch outside of Crawford, running to school to beat the bus, cardboard in his shoes to fill the holes. One time, he used his belt to harness a horse to hitch a ride to school. Ernie milked cows every morning, bought his first car at age 12, drank water from a spring, and hunted deer and jackrabbits. When Ernie looked back on his youth, he would say, "I never imagined a kid like me, who grew up on a ranch, would have such a great life. I'm the luckiest guy. I've got a wonderful family."

Ernie joined the US Marine Corps to make a better life for himself, serving the majority of his time as a Military Police Officer overseas in the Philippines. He said that being in the Marine Corps was the first time in his life that he ate three meals a day. He grew four inches and gained 30 pounds, thanks to the USMC.

After the Marines, Ernie worked as an officer for the Westminster Police Department. A few years later, he signed onto the California Highway Patrol which brought him to Santa Cruz and became the career he loved. CHP Officer Ernie befriended nearly everyone he met, whether off-duty at the coffee shop, on the shoulder of Highway 17, or in the backseat of his patrol car. His humorous-calm charisma made for memorable interactions on both sides of the ticketbook.

It seemed like half the town met Officer Ernie when they attended his Saturday traffic school. His classes were fun and entertaining as he recounted many of the unusual calls he went on. People recognized and greeted Ernie with a smile all over town, introducing him to their family and friends.

In 1979, Ernie met the best match for him we can imagine, Kathy Winsor (Snider). Ernie and Kathy met poolside at the Cabrillo Courthouse Racquetball Club. One of their first dates was horseback riding through the Christmas tree farm near the house where they lived. They were married on May 13, 1979 where Ernie surprised Kathy by arranging for his WWII tank to be their wedding getaway car, decorated with streamers and a 'Just Married' sign. Ernie's children from his previous marriage, Shannon and Morgan, adored Kathy and immediately took to calling her mom. In the following years, Kathy and Ernie were blessed to have three children together: Evan, Brodie, and Erron. Their first two babies, Evan and Brodie, got to have their trip home from the hospital in that same WWII tank.

Besides being a husband, father, and CHP officer, Ernie always had old cars he was working on. There were often cars parked all over in various states of repair. He loved all kinds of old cars but especially those 50s Chevys. It was fun to go to car shows with him as he knew so much and he appreciated those shiny classic cars.

Ernie was a pilot. He loved flying his Cessna 172 up to Half Moon Bay for breakfast and to Colorado to go hunting. From the Watsonville airport, Ernie would fly over the house and tip his wing to Kathy who would run out and wave from the driveway.

After retiring from the CHP, Ernie worked a few other law enforcement jobs. He rode horseback patrol at Pogonip, chasing off squatters in the beautiful rolling oak woodlands. He worked several years at the Santa Cruz Harbor as a Harbor Patrol Officer, going out on their boat or the Zodiac and walking the docks. We remember a call he got where his quick action saved the lives of surfers who had lost their boards in a sudden storm and were being swept out to sea. Ernie hopped into the Zodiak, zipped out there in the rough waters and pulled them into the boat. Ernie was a pool shark and was always asking, "How about a game of pool?" He played and taught his kids and grandkids how to bank a shot and put a spin on it while listening to old tunes on the stereo. Ernie was the best pool player around. He told us that when he was young, he would play pool for lunch money. Ernie loved games and he played to win. Besides pool, he was skilled at chess, checkers, cribbage, and ping pong. We all delighted in his competitiveness and his wins about as much as he did, he was so fun to play games with.

Beyond the legacy of his special presence in our lives, Ernie leaves behind his wife Kathy, his children Shannon, Morgan, Evan, Brodie, and Erron, six grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Ernie left this world changed by the love and happiness he poured into it and he was dearly and deeply loved by his friends and family. We treasure the memories of our time with him. We will forever miss his mustached smile, easy laugh, and warm presence. We have his stories to retell - his crazy, amazing, unbelievable stories we can share together, filling in where someone else forgets. We have the love and good fortune of knowing and loving him that will last forever.

The family would like to thank the VA Hospital in Palo Alto for the compassionate care and honor they gave to Ernie.

In the future, be on the lookout for a picnic table at Seacliff Beach, dedicated to Ernie in his memory.

A Celebration of Life for Ernie will be held on September 22, 2024. Please RSVP to kathywinsor5@gmail.com

Published in The Pajaronian · June 5, 2024