Michael Henry Winn

Michael Henry Winn, 82, of Winter Park, longtime commercial real estate broker and a benefactor of numerous Central Florida arts organizations, died on October 15, 2024 after a recent illness.

An Orlando native and son of the late Charles and Louise Winn, Mike was a graduate of Edgewater High School and the University of South Florida. As a teenager, he worked the grill at Meiner's Pit Bar-B-Que on North Orange Blossom Trail, the popular Orlando restaurant of the 1960-70s owned by his relatives.

He began his real estate career in 1972 specializing in Winter Park retail and office sales/leasing. He developed and sold five successful real estate firms. Most recently he was a partner in RealCom Real Estate Services, Inc. and owner of Winnco Realty, Inc. with its offices in downtown Winter Park.

In 1992, Mike married the former Gail Cox Adams, a partner in Ewing Noble & Winn Interiors of Winter Park.

Over the years, the couple have been deeply involved in the Central Florida arts community. They have underwritten Orlando Museum of Art's annual Florida Prize in Contemporary Art since its inception. Mike served as a trustee of the museum and a member of its Acquisition Trust. They enjoyed attending many of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra concerts and attending Horsin' Around to benefit the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Most recently, he and Gail sponsored the WinnWin Emerging Artist Exhibit at the Mills Gallery in Orlando. The Winns have underwritten numerous public projects, including the 2022 installation of the landmark Tower Clock along Park Avenue, which hearkens to the city's founding in 1887, and contributed to the Park Avenue Gateway Arch, scheduled to be erected in the near future.

A classic car enthusiast and collector, Mike enjoyed a wide circle of friends and hosted numerous social gatherings, including a weekly Tuesday afternoon "Gathering of Guys" that has met at various Park Avenue watering holes for years. Winn was also a member of Interlachen Country Club, the Winter Park Half Century Club and the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

Mike was known for his dapper attire and as a "Gentleman's Gentleman".

In addition to his wife, Gail Adams Winn, of Winter Park, Winn is survived by a sister, Sherry Janes of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and four nephews, Christopher Laycock, Robert Laycock, Brad Browning and Scott Browning.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on October 24, 2024, at First United Methodist Church of Winter Park.

Donations can be made to the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, or the Atlantic Center for the Arts.