Harry Adam Winterroth, a longtime resident of Yonkers, passed away peacefully at home on June 17, 2026, ten days shy of his 100th birthday.
Harry was born in the Bronx, New York, on June 27, 1926, to the late Harry and Frances (née Klett) Winterroth. He graduated from Holy Family Grammar School and was a member of the first graduating class of Cardinal Hayes High School. After high school, Harry joined the United States Army and served in Europe. Upon returning home, he built his life in New York, earning his degree from Fordham University by attending classes at night while beginning his career in purchasing.
It was during those years that Harry met the love of his life, Julia “Lulu” Henry. From the moment he met her, Harry was captivated, and his love for Lulu remained the great constant of his life—through 57 years of marriage and the 15 years he carried on without her.
A devout Roman Catholic and a daily communicant for much of his life, Harry was above all a devoted family man. His love for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren was steadfast and unconditional. To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was “Big Harry”—a man they adored and whose loss has left them heartbroken.
Harry had an extraordinary memory and a gift for telling the stories it held. As a boy, he watched the Hindenburg pass overhead from the roof of Holy Family in 1937. On December 7, 1941, he was attending a hockey game at Madison Square Garden when an announcement called for servicemen in attendance to report to their bases: the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. During his time in the Army, he was posted to Nuremberg, where he guarded SS prisoners and attended the war crimes trials of the leaders of the Third Reich.
Harry belonged to an older mold of man—capable with his hands, sharp in his mind, and good company. A natural athlete, Harry was the kind of grandfather who taught his grandsons how to throw a baseball and how to swim in the ocean (and out of a rip current). He was also a lifelong learner, an avid reader and formidable Jeopardy player to the end, and an appreciator of a well-made martini. Those who loved him will remember his abiding generosity and his wonderful, often self-effacing sense of humor.
Harry was predeceased by his beloved wife, Julia. He is survived by his son, Paul (Geraldine); his five daughters, Anne Vasile (John, deceased), Amy Sheluck (Bill, deceased), Laura, Julia Morgan (John), and Mary Pardo (Darren); 20 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and his brother, Robert (Marie). He was also predeceased by his brother, George, and by twin great-grandchildren.
He was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.
