Quinton Isaiah Winek

Quinton Isaiah Winek, age 24, of Merced, California, passed away on June 28th, 2024. He lives on in the memory and spirit of all who loved him, and he will be forever present in the beauty and wonder of nature and the great outdoors, which he loved so dearly.

Quinton was a proud Merced County resident for the majority of his life, and he loved the central valley’s proximity to the foothills, Yosemite, the beach and the Bay Area. He attended The Kid’s Place Pre-School, the Montessori Magnet at Sheehy and John Muir Elementary Schools, Rivera Middle School and El Capitan High School. He was shaped by many local favorites - John Muir Chess Club, East Wind Martial Arts Academy, Merced Skimmers Swim, Merced Youth Soccer, Rivera Marching Band, 4-H Camp Sylvester at Pine Crest, El Capitan Gaucho Marching Band, and El Capitan Gaucho Water Polo and Swim Teams. After graduating from El Capitan High School in 2018, Quinton went on to study Engineering and Statistics at Chico State University and greatly enjoyed living with friends in the Chico area, frequenting Bidwell Park and the big trees. He returned to Merced in 2022 and started working at Raleys Grocery Store in 2023, where he enjoyed connecting with the community through his work.

Quinton will be remembered for many positive attributes, including his fierce loyalty to family and friends, his unwavering ability to never speak badly about anyone, his often quiet open-mind and heart, his quick wit and sharp calculating mind, his perseverance during health challenges, his love of music, beats and rhythms, his appreciation for quirky treasures, his adventurous and free spirit when in the great outdoors, and his ability to beat almost everyone at almost any video game. Quinton is survived by his mother Angela Winek, his father Christopher Winek, his sister Marin Winek Amoudi, his brother-in-law Kanaan Amoudi, his great-grandmother Marilyn Holman, his grandparents Cheryl and Gary Eno, Chris Crain and Tim Winek, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family members.

The memorial services and burial will be private ceremonies, and Quinton will be laid to rest in Snelling cemetery, across from his beloved Merced River. In loving memory of Quinton Winek, we invite contributions to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, through https://www.nami.org/

“Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life, and that the grave has no victory, for it never fights. All is divine harmony.” - John Muir (1916)