Anthony “Tony” Winston, of Morgantown, passed away Monday, July 30, at Mon Health Medical Center. Tony was born in Washington D.C. on December 5, 1925, to George Otis Winston and Helen Comfort Stagg.
He was predeceased by his older brother, George.
He grew up in D.C. and was drafted into the army in 1944, served overseas and received the Purple Heart. On returning to Washington, he entered George Washington University and received the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1950. From there he went to Duke University in Durham, N.C. for graduate work, receiving an M.S. degree in chemistry in 1952 and the Ph.D. in 1955. While at Duke he met Lois Eney of Bethlehem, Pa. and they were married in June, 1952, now deceased.
In 1959 he accepted an appointment to the Chemistry Department at West Virginia University. Tony taught chemistry and conducted chemical research for the next 33 years, becoming a full professor in 1975. He served as Department Chair from 1986-1990 and retired in 1992.
Tony was a 60-year member of the American Chemical Society and served three terms as Chair of the local section. He was also a member of Phi Lambda Upsilon, Honorary Chemistry Society, Alpha Chi Sigma, Professional Chemistry Fraternity, The Society of the Sigma Xi, serving as president of the local Chapter in 1970. He also served as editor of the Proceedings of the WV Academy of Sciences, 1971-1973.
In 1972 Tony received the WVU Outstanding Teacher Award and in 1990 the Chemistry Department Outstanding Faculty Award.
Having joined the Morgantown Rotary Club in 1969 and serving as host family for their first Rotary Exchange Student, the Winstons hosted several students. He was subsequently named Club Chairman of the Youth Exchange Program. After several years at this post he became chairman of the Rotary District YEP Committee for northern West Virginia and he and his wife Lois ran the YEP for the next 20 years. Over that period, they hosted 10 exchange students. For his work with the exchange program Tony received the Brad Laidley Award from the Morgantown Rotary Club, and later the first Rotary District Governor’s Award.
Tony became interested in photography as a teenager in the late 1930s and learned not only camera operation, but also developing and printing. About 1995, he became interested in photographing the natural beauties of West Virginia including W.Va. wildflowers, and fungi. The result was a series of slide shows, set to music offered as programs to over 40 garden clubs and other organizations.
Besides photography his interests included hiking, white water canoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing, and bicycling. His greatest accomplishment though was as a loving and committed husband and father. He will be sorely missed by his family, friends and Mary, his special friend.
Tony is survived by his four sons, Anthony Jr. (Cathy Gittelson), Richard (Lily Fountain), Robert (Diane Duhl), David (Juliette Benezra); grandchildren, Nathaniel, Ashley, Genevieve, Jaclyn, Elizabeth, Alexander and Maia; and great-grandchildren, Gabriel, Elizabeth, Isaac, Evelyn and Eleanor.
There will be a memorial service at The Village at Heritage Point, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 18.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
Hastings Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Condolences: hastingsfuneralhome.com
