Lex R. Winans

Lex R. Winans of O'Hara Township died on July 7 following a three-month illness. He was 89 years old.

Born on February 29, 1936 to Lex and Beatrice Winans, Lex grew up in Wilkinsburg and attended Wilkinsburg High School. As a teenager, he caddied at Churchill Country Club and found a lifelong passion in golf. 

Anyone who knew him knew that his time at Princeton University (class of 1957) remained a highlight of his life. After college and service in the Army, Lex moved back home and began a sales career. Following several years in industrial chemical sales, in his early 30s he began to broker coal through Coal Hill Mining Company, which turned into a 50-year career in the coal business. At an age when most would retire, Lex bought the company and ran it successfully until he was 86 years old.

Lex married Bonnie Wyman in the early 1960s and had two children, Lex and Molly. The kid years were filled with swim meets and golf at the Longue Vue Club, Steeler and Penguin games, Jersey Shore vacations, and weekend ski trips to Seven Springs. The couple eventually divorced, yet remained friends. 

In his 50s, at the Shiloh Inn on Mount Washington, Lex met Jackie Hamilton. She became the love of his life for 35 years. Lex and Jackie enjoyed travel adventures from discovering the Norwegian fjords to sailing in the Mediterranean. They traveled to tropical destinations such as Antigua, attended Princeton reunions, and spent many relaxing winters in Hutchinson Island, Florida. They also savored time at home hosting family gatherings and watching sports: football, hockey, baseball, and of course, golf. 

With an insatiable curiosity for facts and a remarkably sharp memory, Lex was a tough guy to beat at Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy! He appreciated the first run down a ski slope, body surfing in the ocean, grooving on a dance floor, a sunny golf morning among friends, a hilarious joke, a good burger, and a vodka martini with extra cocktail onions. He laughed a lot, made others laugh, and loved well. He lived a long and wonderful life.

Lex was predeceased by his parents, Lex and Bea, his sister Lynn Smith, and his ex-wife Bonnie. He leaves behind his beloved wife Jackie Hamilton; his children Lex (Nina) Winans and Molly (Dan) Winans; his stepchildren Bruce (Nancy) Bartholomew, Brian (Marita) Bartholomew, Hilary Hamilton, and DH Hamilton; and grandchildren Annika, Mia, Britta, Mara, Wes, Alexa, Camdin, and Poppy.

A celebration of life will take place at a later date.

Arrangements by Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home.

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