Winslow Reitnouer Extended family

Winnie’s decision to provide philanthropic support was in part an expression of gratitude for the care she and her late husband Lynn have received — and the birth of grandchildren Alex and Katherine here. She is a member of our President’s Circle at the Medicus Society level. President’s Circle members are among our leading Huntington Annual Fund donors, providing generous annual gifts for current use.

Winnie notes that Lynn was a patient here on a number of occasions, receiving care for atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He also participated in our nationally recognized cardiac rehabilitation program.

More than once, Winnie adds, San Marino paramedics brought him to our emergency department, and “the staff there rose to the occasion every time. There’s a special place in my heart for the staff members who tended to my husband in his

Winnie Reitnouer’s gifts are in part inspired by the exceptional care her late husband Lynn (above) received at the hospital. “I’m a big advocate for Huntington Hospital. I give in gratitude for the service we received there, for the outreach they do in the community and for the kindness of the wonderful staff. I’ll never forget everything they did for us.”

final days in the critical care unit,” she adds. She describes how, in addition to providing high-quality clinical care, they went the extra mile to make him comfortable in every way possible. “He was so tall, and they even brought in a special, longer bed for him to accommodate his height,” she notes.

Our staff members’ compassionate approach also helped Winnie through this difficult time, she says. “I appreciated the extra kindness, from the way they spoke with me to the warm blankets they brought — for him and for me, too. They weren’t staff to me,” she says. “They were more like family.”

The Reitnouers met just after Winnie graduated from high school. “I saw a good-looking local boy, six feet and eight inches tall, with a ’33 Packard touring sedan, and we clicked immediately,” she recalls with a smile. “Of course, we got married three years later!”

Both Winnie and Lynn went on to study at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Following graduation, they worked as teachers in Monrovia and Alhambra. Then, in 1960, the family — now including son, John — moved to Germany, where Winnie and Lynn taught at American schools for U.S. Army dependents, Lynn as a varsity basketball coach and Winnie as a first grade instructor.

The Reitnouers originally planned to spend two years in Germany. They remained for four. The couple settled in San Marino upon their return to the United States, and Lynn began a new career. He joined

Winnie appreciates the compassionate care provided by nurses in our critical care unit.

the Los Angeles investment firm Crowell, Weedon & Co (now D.A. Davidson Companies), where he remained for the rest of his life, becoming one of the firm’s earliest partners. He and Winnie also made a strong mark in their new home community: Lynn served on the city council for 10 years and went on to serve as mayor of San Marino. Winnie — among many other volunteer community engagements — co-founded the San Marino Sister City Committee, and was a deacon and elder at the San Marino Community Church.

Throughout, the Reitnouers’ links with Europe would continue, as they became involved with AFS Intercultural Programs (then called American Field Service). After the couple hosted a student from Turkey for the 1970–71 school year, Winnie served as president of this organization’s San Marino High School chapter. This in turn led to lifelong friendships in Austria. Today, Winnie is known as Mutti (mom) by several prominent residents of that country. She has received a medal for her services to Austrian youth. Lynn, too, won recognition overseas: He was granted the order of St. Agatha by the Republic of San Marino. The order is presented to foreign nationals who have provided noteworthy services or other contributions to the republic.

More locally, Winnie has another special title. She was recently named an honorary fire chief of the San Marino Fire Department, in recognition of her family gift toward the acquisition of special paramedic equipment.

Her son, John, and his wife, Susan, live locally. So, too, do Winnie’s grandchildren, Katherine and Alex, and Alex’s wife, Keeley.

Building on her ties with Austria, Winnie serves as special advisor to the board of directors of the Austrian-American Council West. In this role, she has helped designate funds from one of the group’s annual fundraisers to support our work. A plaque in our pediatric unit celebrates the gift.