Winifred Jean Wilson

Winifred “Winnie” Jean Wilson departed our world July 7, 2022. Winnie’s family takes solace in knowing her passing brings her peace and allows her to be free of the shackles of dementia. She is survived by her daughter Winifred Katherine “Winnie” Wilson Sunquist, and her two grandsons, Hunter and Harmon Sunquist, her sister Elizabeth Booker and her husband Chuck Booker, her brother Robert Shreve and his family (wife Darlene Cridlin, son Samuel Shreve, daughter Zoe Shreve), and her other brother Michael Shreve and his family (wife Elizabeth Shreve, daughter Destiny Shreve, and son Seth Shreve) As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, and conservator of nature, she was loyal, loving and engaged. Her absence has created a vacuum in our world.

Born February 11th, 1946, she relished being the older sister to three siblings: Michael, Robert, and Elizabeth. With them, they lived the life of a Navy family. Traveling to different ports assigned to her father, Andrew Shreve. Many a time, she was the consummate helper to her mother Katie Winifred, “Winnie” as well.

During her time in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she developed a profound appreciation of marine biology and science. Following her time there, the family moved to Norfolk, Virginia where she attended and graduated from Norfolk Catholic High School.

For her university studies, Winnie attended Sophie Newcomb, the sister school of Tulane University. This choice so reflected her love of music, dancing, and celebration whenever the chance presented itself, as New Orleans is known for that. As her brother Bob has stated, she chose a “party school.”

After graduating from Sophie Newcomb, plans were established to move to Hawaii in pursuit of her marine biology aspirations. But before she left for Hawaii, Winnie visited her beloved Aunt Flo, her dad’s sister, who lived in Homestead, FL. Aunt Flo had met a handsome Army chief warrant officer whom she thought Winnie Jean might enjoy meeting. No surprise, Hawaii plans soon evaporated.

After a whirlwind courtship, Winnie Jean married Chuck Wilson; transforming from a Navy brat into an Army Wife. From base to base, they were assigned the Panama Canal Zone (where she became a mom to Winifred Katherine Wilson), Ft. Rucker in Alabama, Ft. Ord in California, and finally Tempe, Arizona where Chuck recruited for the Army and Winnie relished being a mom, a homemaker, and a Mary Kay Consultant.

Retirement from the Army triggered a move to St. Petersburg, FL. Now for the first time in quite a while they were in the same time zone as many family members. There Chuck pursued a second career in the Post Office and Winnie Jean pursued her career as a

high school science teacher, with an emphasis in marine biology. She appreciated her journey as Chuck’s wife and took away from it so many treasured memories when their life paths diverged.

Once established as a strong and reputable high school teacher, Winnie added to her educational career. She became active in FAST the Florida Association of Science Teachers, FEMSEA the Florida Educators of Marine Science Educators Association, and NSTA the National Science Teachers Association. She served as the NSTA District V Director, 1995-1997. Winnie even guided FAST as president for the term of 1993-1994. In fact, she presented at numerous educator conferences, including the 1993 International NSTA conference in Oaxtepec, Mexico. Winnie was a well-respected educator and was recognized as such by the Pinellas County School Board. In 1997, she was selected as the Gibbs High School Educator of the Year. She even returned to college to earn her Master’s Degree at the University of South Florida, impressing upon her daughter the continued importance and joy of learning and growing.

Winnie fully embraced her time on earth. When not teaching, Winnie traveled, danced, scuba dived, fished, collected seashells, patronized the arts, supported friends, gardened, sewed, documented her life via photography, connected with family, and partook in

good company whenever the opportunity presented itself.

We should all remember and embrace one of her favorite well-known quotes, Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth.

As a lover of the oceans, Winnie was laid to rest as a part of an Eternal Reef’s restoration project off the coast of Sarasota, honoring her philanthropic spirit. Her family participated in the ceremonial reef ball creation and placement in March 2023. Be sure to say, “Aloha, Winnie” whenever you cruise the Florida west coast.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Winifred Jean Wilson, please visit our floral store.