Winifred Lois Markey, passed away on February 2, 2026 (age 88) at the Indiana Veterans’ Home in West Lafayette, Indiana. She was deeply loved by her family and is survived by her 4 adult children: Pat (Karin), Sean (Barbara), Sharon (Fred) and Colleen (Rich); her 8 grandchildren: Lindsey Tyler (John Paul), Sean Michael, Kevin, Winnie Jo (Zach), Cecilia, Olivia (Thomas), Aubrey (Judah) and Jered (Lorenzo); and 2 great grandchildren: “Little” Zeke and Anderson. Winnie was immensely proud of all her kids and grandkids, and great grandkids for their many educational, professional and athletic accomplishments.

Winnie was a devoted wife to her beloved Zeke (Jerry) throughout their 67-year marriage. She missed him immensely after he passed away on July 14, 2024. Winnie was always a devoted and fair mom and grandma. She always prided herself on treating each of her kids and grandkids equally and was their biggest cheerleader. She went to as many athletic events, band concerts, award ceremonies, dance recitals and graduations as she could and loved every minute of attending these important activities. Winnie also loved her red wine! A great day for her was eating out at a favorite restaurant or pub along with dad and ordering a glass of cabernet (with ice cubes!) to enjoy with the meal she didn’t have to cook herself. She was a devout Catholic who never missed a Sunday mass, Holy Day, or saying the rosary. She was also an avid newspaper reader, lover of books, an excellent speller and writer and a sports enthusiast. Throughout most of her life she loved to go on long walks, play golf, read, write and solve crossword puzzles. Our family always loved to tease Winnie who had a great sense of humor. She was a peacemaker, a devoted and loyal family matriarch, and will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.

Winnie was born in Brooklyn, NY on May 12, 1937 and grew up in Jamaica Plain, NY. Just before her senior year in high school, Winnie’s dad retired and moved the family to Fort Lauderdale, FL where she graduated high school in 1954. Three years later she married Zeke (the love of her life) on June 15, 1957.

After successfully raising their four kids, Zeke retired, and he and Winnie spent many fun years living in Murphy, NC, first in the home they built with their two sons located on Hiwassee Lake, and then in a home closer to the town of Murphy. Eventually, Winnie and Zeke got the itch to travel and bought their first RV. They loved living the RV lifestyle so much that they sold their home and became permanent RVers and travelled the country, most notably visiting and even working in, all the major National Parks – their favorite being Sequoia & Kings Canyon.

Winnie had a life well-lived and was loved by all who knew her. Right up to her passing, Winnie continued to be kind, funny, and caring to those around her. She even had a New Years’ resolution to make new friends at the VA and keep others company so they weren’t alone.

We are truly grateful for the loving example she set for all of us in life. She was a loyal and devoted wife, mom, friend, homemaker, volunteer, woman of strong faith, creative writer and someone who always enjoyed lunch or dinner out and a good pour of red wine. Let us all raise a glass of red wine to Winnie, celebrate her life and cherish all the wonderful memories we have with her. Cheers to you Mom! 

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