Winn Douglas

James Winfred “Winn” Douglas was born on January 16, 1953, in Brookhaven, MS, to William David Douglas and Lola Taylor Douglas. He was named for his Uncle James Taylor and his grandfather, John Winfred “Papa” Douglas. The youngest of three sons, each born 18 months apart, Winn grew up in Brookhaven. As boys, he and his brothers worked on their grandfather’s farm, which began as a chicken farm and later became a dairy farm. They milked cows twice a day—before and after school—fitting it in around ball practice, with football in the fall and basketball in the winter.

Winn attended Enterprise School and was very athletic, playing multiple sports in high school. Because he was so big and strong, he played on the varsity football team as a freshman, which allowed him to play alongside his older brothers for one special season. Winn’s father worked out of town as a boilermaker supervisor, but drove long hours to come home and watch his boys play on Friday nights, usually arriving by halftime.

After Winn’s junior-year football season, his mother began traveling with his father for his work in Vicksburg, MS, and Jefferson, TX. Winn finished his junior year in Vicksburg and graduated from Jefferson High School in Jefferson, TX. He was offered football scholarships to Stephen F. Austin University and Southern Miss, but chose instead to follow in the family tradition and work as a boilermaker.

Winn was raised in the Baptist church. As a child, he attended Wellman Baptist Church, and as a young adult he came to a personal faith in Christ. During his younger years, he worked part time in several churches, especially with youth during the summers.

In 1974, Winn’s father was working a boilermaker job at the paper mill in Cantonment, FL. By then, Winn’s mother traveled with his dad as he worked around the country, and wherever they were, they always found a church to attend. While visiting them, Winn went with his parents to Brownsville Baptist Church in Pensacola, where he met his future wife, Gay. He later spent a summer serving there as youth director. On April 1, 1978, Winn and Gay were married. This year would have been their 48th wedding anniversary.

In their early married years, Winn and Gay were very active at Brownsville Baptist Church—singing in the choir and in the ensemble “New Horizon,” playing softball, teaching, and serving in puppet ministry. Winn had a beautiful tenor voice and sang with the group TAKE FIVE. They sang at revivals, meetings, and fellowships in the area. Winn was ordained as a deacon, and the pastor could always count on him for anything that needed to be done—even climbing up on Mother’s Day to fix a leak in the steeple if that’s what was required.

Five years after they married, Winn and Gay were blessed with a daughter, Haley. Winn would tell you that his greatest accomplishment was having a wonderful daughter, probably not giving himself enough credit for the role he played in shaping who she became. He was a loving but firm father, teaching her the importance of regular church attendance, generosity, loving others, and letting the Lord guide her life.

After Haley was born, Winn no longer wanted to be away from home and left the boilermaker trade. He tried several different jobs, but the Lord ultimately led him to the work he loved most: watermelon produce. He first worked with McMelon and later with Natures Choice Produce alongside Doug Dickerson and Bruce Mann. Winn truly loved this job—working with farmers at the packing house and with the harvest crews. The work still took him out of town, but only during the watermelon season from May through September, so he could be home the rest of the year.

In May 2015, Winn’s life changed dramatically when he suffered a ruptured abdominal aneurysm with multiple complications—something most people do not survive. He had just arrived in south Florida to begin that year’s watermelon season. Through the prayers and support of church family and friends, and after months of recovery, he was able to come home. For the past 10 years, his family has thanked the Lord for that extra time with Winn, even though he lived with physical limitations.

Words cannot fully express how much Winn loved his grandchildren, Sarah Kate (16), Henry (12), and Charlotte (4). He called them “his babies.” He looked forward to seeing them every day and watched for them to come walking across the backyard to the house—a sight he fondly called “the million-dollar view.” Even in the hospital, some of his final instructions to his son-in-law, Mike, were to “take care of my babies.”

Winn is preceded in death by his parents, David and Lola Douglas. He is survived by his wife, Gay Douglas; his daughter, Haley Miller (Mike); and his grandchildren, Sarah Kate, Henry, and Charlotte. He is also survived by his brothers, David Douglas, Jr. and Gary Douglas (Ann); his mother-in-law, Lunette Wilson; and many other loving in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

Winn had many dear friends and meaningful relationships. Doug Dickerson and Bruce Mann remained close friends even after Winn was no longer able to work. Wayne Burkett was a long-time friend, and Winn met him for coffee most weeks. Some of the men from his church connect group also meet for coffee and breakfast on Fridays—Winn called them “the coffee guys.” He looked forward to those Fridays, and they were a special part of his life. Each of you has been a great friend. Winn touched more lives than any of us will ever know—only God knows them all.

The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at HCA Florida West Hospital—ER, CCU, ICU, and 5N PCU—and especially Robin in CCU, for the excellent care given to Winn and to the family. They would also like to thank Dr. Lenga and Laurie for their care and support over the past 10 years.

The family is deeply grateful to everyone who has reached out with kindness, love, and prayers.