Robert Joseph Winter

<p class="p1">Robert Joseph Winter, 78, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, died Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, at his home.</p><p class="p1">He was born on Dec. 27, 1936, in Dongola, the son of Robert and Helen Winter.</p><p class="p1">He married Eleanor Fern Sielbeck on Aug. 4, 1960, and they shared 55 years together.</p><p class="p1">He served his country in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea for two years.</p><p class="p1">The Winters moved to Ann Arbor in 1965. He joined the Ann Arbor Police Department. He retired in 1991 due to a Parkinson's diagnosis.</p><p class="p1">His family said that as a detective, Mr. Winter had the opportunity to protect the public, serve them and help many people find the right path. He believed that everyone deserved a second chance. He also was known for his wit and ability to make people laugh when they needed it the most. He was a father figure to many and would always give someone the benefit of the doubt.</p><p class="p1">He had been a member of Packard Road Baptist Church in Ann Arbor since 1969.</p><p class="p1">Survivors include his wife, Fern; his son, Todd (Suzy) Winter; a grandson, Nathan; granddaughters Grace and Emma; a niece, Beth Hamlet, her sons Derek and Joshua, and daughter Hannah; a sister, Phyllis Dillow; and nieces Jill Karroll and Jan Purcell.</p><p class="p1">He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant brother, Jerry; and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bill and Lydia Canada.</p><p class="p1">Funeral services were at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at the Nie Family Funeral Home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Burial was in Washtenong Memorial Park. Online memories can be shared at www.niefuneralhomes.com.</p>

Robert Joseph Winter