Edward John 'Ed' Winegart, 84

Edward John “Ed” Winegart, D.D.S.,  84, passed away surrounded by his six children and many grandchildren at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Polson, on Jan. 12, 2014.

He was the son of John Francis and Marie (Polack) Winegart. Ed grew up in Pasadena, Calif., where his father, a pharmacist, owned Winegart Drug Store. He attended Holy Family School, was a track star at Cathedral High School and attended Loyola University, Los Angeles.

In 1955 he married Ruth Louise Rice while attending dental school. After graduating from Marquette University, he opened a dental practice in Duarte, Calif., and “reared” his children in Pasadena. He practiced dentistry until 2002.

After retiring, he moved to Polson to be near several of his children. He loved to look across Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountains. Though he enjoyed fishing as a Californian, he was really a Montana mountain man at heart.

Ed believed in strong family values, such as meals together, celebrating holidays, taking family vacations and using his talented hands to build TVs, computers, cars and gardening projects. There was nothing he could not fix. He had the “patience of Job” while tending six fishing lines on a converted Navy whale boat off Dana Point, Calif.

He touched many lives through his relationships with childhood friends and their children, his nieces and nephews (who called him “Super Uncle”) and his patients, including the Carmelite Sisters of Santa Teresita Hospital. He was past president of the Duarte Kiwanis Club, and was a regular usher of Assumption BVM Catholic parish in Pasadena.

Ed wanted to be remembered as a family man in the truest sense — who cherished the times when he could simply be with his family, cooking, baking for his children and grandchildren, followed by a good game of pinochle. Ed was a true “Renaissance Man,” who will be remembered for his Catholic faith, sense of humor, care of others and any stray animals that crossed his path, his joy of cooking, tinkering and his warm heart.

He leaves behind his children, Carolyn and Ron Goldammer, John and Lisa Bertoglio Winegart, Susan and Jeff Ellingson, Eric and Suzanne Winegart, Paula and Kent Montgomery, and Betsy and Jim Tutwiler; 14 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and six nieces and nephews (the Chisam Family).

Viewing will be 5 to 7 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Polson followed by the rosary at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16. Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m., Friday, Jan. 17, at Immaculate Conception Church, followed by interment at 2 p.m. at Old St. Mary’s Cemetery in Missoula.

Arrangements are under the direction of Grogan Funeral Home and Crematory. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.groganfuneralhome.com.