William Winter remembered for love, kindness and humility

The late William Winter is remembered for his love for the people, his kindness and his humility.
“No matter what happened, if he was facing a difficult situation as an archdeacon, he always looked for the good in it and to make things right again,” said Anglican Church Bishop Lydia Mamakwa of the northern Ontario region of the Keewatin diocese and one of Winter’s nieces. “That is what he always strived for. He said whenever someone falls or makes a mistake, you help them get up again.”
Winter, 89, passed away March 31 with his family at his side in Sioux Lookout.
“I was in the room when he took his last breath,” Mamakwa said. “Some of (the people) shed tears and we were singing songs that talk about leaving this world and going on to the kingdom of God.”
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy and Deputy Grand Chief Mike Metatawabin and Anglican Church Primate Fred Hiltz are among the many people travelling to Kingfisher Lake to attend Winter’s funeral service today at 2 p.m. in the Mary Ann Aganash Memorial School Gymnasium.
“He was like a pillar in every way, so this is a great loss for us,” Mamakwa said. “We must look up to our lord who we are serving that he would enable us to carry on William’s vision and his work he set us out to do.”
Winter was the first Native archdeacon appointed in northern Ontario.
“He really inspired me and motivated me to walk in the path he was walking,” Mamakwa said. “He was one of the Elders in the early 1970s who had the vision that the Native people will have a Native bishop with their own diocese in the future.”