John Ralph Winstead

January 19, 1945 - February 7, 2022

John Winstead passed away peacefully on February 7, 2022. He was 77 years old. He is survived by the love of his life, Donna Winstead, daughter, Betsy Winstead Biggs (Brad), son, Brad Winstead (Katie), brother, Tommie (Linda) Winstead, sister, Patsy Coates, sister-in-law, May Yarbrough, grandchildren, Blake Biggs, Carmen Biggs, Braden Winstead, and Will Winstead, and nieces and nephews. John was the son of the late Ralph and Orell Winstead. He grew up in Martin, graduated from Martin High School and retired after 30 years of service from Citizens Telecommunications (formerly known as GTE). He was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church in Martin, TN until 2008 when John and Donna moved to Lexington, TN. Once they moved, they became loyal members of First United Methodist Church in Lexington. John was generally known to be a quiet man; his family and friends knew him to be humble, wise, and selfless. It didn’t take long to pick up on his dry sense of humor and wit. John was best known as a devout Christian with a wife equal in her deep, abiding faith. John and Donna’s faithful commitment to Jesus Christ will forever be seen in three large white crosses on their hillside along Highway 22 on the north side of Lexington. John faced many physical challenges as his body aged, but his faithful life is what will carry his wife, children and grandchildren through their lives and be shared with generations to come. John took very seriously the meaning of “family first”. John and Donna spent many years traveling throughout the United States, often with an RV camper and two kids in tow, eventually visiting 46 states, Canada, and Mexico while never stepping foot in an airplane. If not camping, John took the family boating with friends on Kentucky Lake. Traveling and boating is a Winstead family legacy certain to be passed down many generations. John showed his kids the value of love, honesty, humility, and stability through his daily actions. For most of their childhood, Betsy and Brad would wait patiently by the back door with excitement as John walked in the door every day on time and with a smile no matter the difficulty of his day. He would spend the rest of the evening with his children in the “shop” or on a lawn mower teaching them basic skills and life lessons. He and Donna gave their kids all the skills and love to thrive in the world and pass on their values to later generations. As the family expanded to four grandchildren, John’s commitment to his family strengthened and was most obvious by his steady presence at every sporting, musical/theatrical event no matter how far they had to drive. John and Donna’s presence was felt by all. If they couldn’t make the event often the first question to Betsy or Brad was “Where are your parents?” John had a special skill in his way of seeing opportunities. He saw Martin’s growing need for apartments in 1990 and storage space in 1995 that led to his projects on Baker Road. He was most proud when he pursued an opportunity that brought happiness to others. When Santa’s Village began in Martin, John had the vision to use a bucket truck to allow kids to “fly” in Santa’s sleigh and grab a candy cane as a special treat. When John and Donna learned about families in need during Christmas, they made sure that those families were blessed. John lived by the Golden Rule. John always loved his cars often joking he owned every type of car made in the 1950s and 1960s. He really enjoyed his 1965 Chevelle Malibu affectionately named “Lil Blue”. John and Donna found deep friendships through a Lexington car club and enjoyed many memories of car shows in “Lil Blue”. If John were asked today how he wanted to be remembered, he would likely say “a loyal Christian, husband, father, brother and friend….nothing else matters”. He was a true gentleman who led his family until the day he went to be with the Lord at which time his family was confident he heard the words found in Matthew 25 “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Visitation will be held at Reed's Chapel Funeral Home in Lexington, Tennessee Friday, February 11 from 4:00 until 7:00 PM and Saturday at Lexington First United Methodist Church from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. A celebration of John Winstead’s life will be held Saturday, February 12 at 12:00 at the Methodist Church located at 27 E Church St, Lexington, TN 38351. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in memory of John to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.