Wesley Winkler

Wesley J. Winkler, Jr. passed away on Monday, May 12, 2025; he was 77 years old.

Born in Paterson to Wesley and Etna Winkler, Wes was raised in Prospect Park, New Jersey. He was active in his church, Cedar Cliff United Methodist, where he met many lifelong friends as well as his future wife. Wes and Merrily were married in 1975 at the church where they’d met many years before. A few years later, they moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne where they raised two sons, Keith and Matthew. Wes’ and Merrily’s bond remained steadfast and strong over the years, and they were inseparable until the end.

Wes had a long career at New Jersey Bell and AT&T, where he progressed from installer to successful sales manager. He served in the Navy during Vietnam, and returned to complete the entirety of his higher education – undergraduate at Rutgers and MBA at Montclair State – taking night classes while working full time. Wes later retired from AT&T and had a short but successful tenure with Global Crossing.

One of Wes’ great loves was travel. Wes and Merrily took their children all over the United States, from local historic spots to national parks, as well as resorts in Hawaii. After their children had left home, they continued to travel, from cross-country drives to visit friends and family, to a cruise in Alaska. One of Wes’ proud accomplishments was having visited almost every state in the US.

Wes also loved his family dearly. Anyone who knew him for more than 10 minutes would have already heard proud stories of his children’s accomplishments. When his children were younger, he became very active in their Boy Scout troop, serving for years as Troop 104’s Committee Chairman. Once his sons were older, he and Merrily eagerly attended many of Matthew’s track meets and Keith’s musician gigs. Once he had grandchildren – eventually 6 of them – Wes loved seeing and playing with them, both at home and in the family’s beach house in Brigantine, NJ.

And that shore house was the place Wes loved to be most of all. He and Merrily rebuilt a small shore house into a vacation home that could fit them as well as their adult children and families. He loved time spent with them and with close friends at the beach. Wes had a lifelong love of the ocean, and could often be found body surfing or boogie boarding – either alone or with his kids and grandkids.

Wes was a devout member of the Methodist church, a member of both Wayne UMC and Grace UMC Wyckoff, where he again made lasting friendships. He raised his children in the church, and was active in bible study and other church activities. Through his church, Wes became devoted to helping those less fortunate. He served for many years as a board member of CUMAC food bank in Paterson, NJ; both he and Merrily spent much time volunteering there. Wes also volunteered building houses for Habitat for Humanity.

Wes had many other loves besides those as well. He loved watching sports, in particular football and golf. He was a lifelong handyman, tinkering and repairing his own home and later his children’s. And finally, he loved meeting new people, making friends wherever he went. Everyone he met soon knew Wes for his outgoing personality and love of helping friends and neighbors. He will be missed by all who had the fortune of knowing him.

Wes is survived by his wife, Merrily; his brother Wayne and sister-in-law Merry; his sons Keith and Matthew, and daughters-in-law Vicky and Maya; and his six grandchildren: Travis, June, Miles, Mira, Daphne, and Fern.

In lieu of flowers, donations to CUMAC: Feeding People, Changing Lives in Wes’ name would be greatly appreciated.