Tom Winn remembered as adventurous renaissance man

He was a versatile teacher, computer whiz, avid hiker, skilled mariner, world traveler, civic leader and handy man par excellence.

Plus much, much more.

Tom Winn never spoke about himself in such glowing terms. Always humble, he let others do the talking.

And a week after his sudden passing, folks in La Conner are still sharing thoughts and reminiscences about the adventurous 73-year-old Winn, whom they describe as having been a modern renaissance man.

“He saw life as an adventure,” Town Councilmember Jacques Brunisholz said of Winn. “A lot of people are afraid to work with things like electricity, gas and computers. He wasn’t. He took the necessary precautions and was able to do it all.”

Brunisholz and Winn shared not only lengthy teaching careers at La Conner Schools, but also an appreciation for the Pacific Northwest, whose trails they often hiked together.

Ironically, both grew up far from here. Winn was born in Guatemala and spent his youth in Japan. Brunisholz is from Switzerland.

“The fact that we had both seen different parts of the world was an angle we had in common,” Brunisholz said.

Like Brunisholz, Winn was eager to serve the community, opting for a spot on the Town Parks Commission.

“Tom was a vital member of our town and an active volunteer who constantly sought ways to move the community forward,” said La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes. “He is, and will continue to be, sorely missed.”

As a teacher, Winn helped La Conner schools move forward in terms of integrating technology into the classroom.

As the La Conner elementary computer instructor, Winn joined then high school publications teacher Judy Odell 25 years ago in developing a communications system that elevated La Conner to the forefront of educational technology.

“It will speed up communications,” he said in an interview for a 1993 Channel Town Press feature story,” and save a lot of paper.”

Indeed it did.

A generation ago La Conner teachers began communicating electronically rather than by paper notepad. That early system even allowed teachers to file lesson plans on sick days.

“The teacher,” Winn said at the time, “can send lesson plans in without having to make the drive into school.”

Vince Sellen, another of his retired La Conner teaching colleagues, said Winn relished new challenges, be it mastering a new computer system or expertly rebuilding the bowsprit on his boat, a longtime fixture on the local waterfront.

“I was always amazed at Tom’s wide range of skills,” Sellen said.

Brunisholz concurred.

“He could fix anything,” said Brunisholz. “He was a great handy man. He loved troubleshooting and figuring out how to make things work.”

Yet as good as Winn was with devices and designs, he was better still with people.

“It was wonderful,” Brunisholz said, “having had Tom as a friend.”

On that score, many in La Conner are agreed.