Services have been scheduled for former Covington mayoral candidate Matthew Winkler, found dead in Devou Park Friday morning.
Matthew Winkler
His family has posted on Facebook that his death was a suicide related to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) as a result of two tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Visitation for Winkler, a Marine Corporal, will be held Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home. Funeral services will be Friday at 10 a.m. at St. John’s Church in Covington. Interment, with military honors, will follow Mass.
Winkler, 27, was defeated in the May Covington Mayoral Primary, in his first foray into politics. He held his own against some seasoned veterans at a candidate forum in advance of the primary.
Despite his youth and lack of experience, Winkler acquitted himself well in a May candidate forum that included incumbent Sherry Carran, former state legislator Joe Meyer and local businessman Alfonse Mele II.
Carran and Meyer advanced to the November General Election, as expected, but Winkler demonstrated a passion for the city’s communities and appeared to have a future in politics.
“The only way that we are going to move forward is to work together, collaborating,” Winkler said during the forum. “Everybody bring their opinions and ideas to the table, figure out what’s best and move forward one step at a time. It has to be a group collaboration from every neighborhood from MainStrasse all the way to South Covington.”
Winkler, a Marine veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan, worked as a pizza delivery driver.
Serving two tours in Afghanistan, Winkler was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corp. He was a member of St. John Church and the Latonia American Legion Post.
He is survived by his mother, Debbie Mueller Winkler of Covington; father, Steven (Karyn) Winkler of Fairfield, Ohio; sister, Nicole Winkler of Covington; niece, Juliet Winker; grandparents, Joe and Faye Mueller of Covington and Mary Jo Winkler of Covington; a host of aunts, uncles and cousins; and his trusted buddy and companion, his Great Dane, Madison.
Matthew was preceded in death by his grandfather, Alfred Winkler.
Memorials are suggested to Covington Holmes High School Junior ROTC Program, 2500 Madison Avenue, Covington KY 41014.
Mark Hansel can be reached at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com
If there is a way for me to get information when his service is his brother from 3rd Battalion 8th Marines Camp Lejeune North Carolina would like to try to attend and pay their respects to their fallen brother. Thank you
To all friends of Matthew Winkler:
Services for Cpl Winkler will be held this Thursday 4-8 pm at Middendor-Bullock Funeral home (Visitation) and ceremony Friday 10 am at St John’s Church in Covington, KY.
I am also working with Tabatha Palese setting up a gofundme account to send flower to his family. If you could please donate, we are asking for $300 for the flower arrangement that will be delivered to the funeral home on Thursday. Thank you to you all for the support I have gotten from my friends yesterday and to everyone that will help make this happen.
Here is the link:
https://www.gofundme.com/2pgurvt8
For those interested in attending his services: The visitation will be Thursday, September 22, 2016 from 4pm-8pm at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home (closed casket) and the funeral ceremony will be held on Friday, September 23, 2016 at 10am at St. John’s Church in Covington, Kentucky.
Worked with Matt at Boge Rubber and Plastics and am deeply saddened by the news of his passing.Matt was a very hard worker and had a great sense of humor.My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his many friends.Rest in Peace my friend
Sorry to hear about your lose debbie prayers go out to u and your family god bless him he will me missed
Describing this young Marine in the media during the primary process as a pizza delivery driver was grossly unfair … I am guessing he possessed more honor and courage than the rest of the field combined. May God bless him!
I’m not sure what you are trying to say here. Mr. Winkler described himself as a pizza delivery driver during the primary. He was also described consistently in the media as a Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan. Delivering pizza is what he did at that time and any hard, honest work is honorable. I personally thought of Mr. Winkler as a bright, articulate young man whose passion for his community was evident and I think he was poised to become one of Covington’s leaders. I never got the impression that anyone thought any less of him or his candidacy because of the work he did. His death is tragic and a great loss to the community.