Dedicated to family and country, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Edward L. Winthrop of Leawood, Kansas, passed away on Feb. 11, 2023.
Born in Duluth, Minnesota, on March 2, 1922, he attended Central High School where he played football, basketball, and ice hockey, enjoyed ski jumping at the Chester Bowl Ski Jump and earned an Eagle Scout designation.
Ed graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1945) where he played varsity ice hockey. He met the love of his life, Tevi Marcella Raidman, while studying electrical engineering at Ohio State University, and they married in 1950. For the next 22 years, they enjoyed a military life that took them to many posts in the United States as well as Korea, Japan and Germany. Ed served as the Commanding Officer of the 24th Signal Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, Augsburg and the Chief Communications Officer for the Berlin Command.
After retirement from the United States Army, Ed and family settled in Leawood, where he began his second chapter, earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1972. At the age of 50, Ed embarked on a 36-year career as a practicing attorney in Johnson County. He also served as Judge of the Leawood Municipal Court for four years. He was a long-time member of the West Point Society of Greater Kansas City, serving as its president for 15 years. Ed and Tevi enjoyed golf, duplicate bridge, the theater, opera and traveling the world.
Ed is survived by his son, James Douglas Winthrop and wife, Debbie of Reisterstown, Maryland; daughter, Barbara Gene Winthrop and husband, Jay Steinfeld of Houston, Texas; grandchildren, Lindsey Winthrop Boswell and husband, Doug of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania; Nicholas Foard Winthrop of Irvine, California; Jenny Winthrop Rose and husband, Dan, of Alexandria, Virginia; and Ted Winthrop Rose of Houston; and great-grandchildren, Clara, Madison, Evy and Aaron. Ed welcomed into his family Jay’s children, Esther Steinfeld Freedman and husband, Doug, of Houston; Craig Steinfeld and wife, Jennifer, of Denver, Colorado; and Alec Steinfeld of New York City, New York; and Jay’s grandchildren, Naomi, Tova, Micah, Leo, Stella and Austin. Also, survived by his sister-in-law, Barbara Cowan Winthrop, and many cousins, nephews and nieces. Preceded in death by his wife of 38 years, Tevi Winthrop; his parents, George and Mary Tesler Winthrop; his younger brothers, Sydney, Harvey and Sherman; sisters-in-law, Esther Winthrop and Belle Toole; and brother-in-law Connie Toole, all of blessed memory.
Ed’s family would like to thank Branden Comfort, MD and Christine Bouchard, RN for their excellent and compassionate care as well as Jerry Kramper and Jim Ensz for their friendship and support.
The funeral service will be held Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. EST, at the Jewish Chapel, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, followed immediately by Military Honors at the grave site, West Point Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Ed to the West Point Association of Graduates / Superintendent’s Annual Fund, 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996 (https://www.westpointaog.org/suptsannualfund), or to the University of Kansas Medical Center – Endowment Office, Branden Comfort, MD, General Internal Medicine Division, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Mailstop 3012, Kansas City, KS 66160 (www.kuendowment.org/givenow and scroll to “Choose area(s)” and select “Other” and in the “Other purpose” box write “General Medicine Research Fund – Branden Comfort, MD”).
Online condolences for the family may be left at louismemorialchapel.com.
