Winston E. Reitan age 84, passed away peacefully on September 10, 2020, at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames. Winston was born on November 13, 1935, in Green Bay Wisconsin. He was the son of Norwegian immigrants, Bjarne, and Dorothea (Christensen) Reitan. He graduated from Nicolet High School in 1954 and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard that same year. He traveled to Cape May New Jersey by train to complete his initial training. During his years of service, he was stationed in several states, including Texas, New York, and Kodiak Alaska (where they told him there was a girl behind every tree, only to find out there were no trees). His final post was in Gloucester New Jersey on the Delaware River. After 20 years and 8 months of service to his country, he retired with the Rank of Master Chief Petty Officer E9. He was awarded a Good Conduct Medal with 4 Bronze Stars, and the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. Winston's retirement years were spent in Collins Iowa. Never one to sit idle, he purchased the local Hardware store and built a successful business. If you needed an electrician, a plumber, or a mechanic, you called Winston. Nothing was outside of his comfort zone except for squeezing into small spaces. When he was out on a call you could be assured that he would leave you with a smile on your face or possibly a blush in your cheeks. There were many parents who we are certain instructed their small children before Winston arrived to perform a service, "do not believe anything Winston says, and most importantly do not repeat anything Winston says." He was a driving force on the Collins City Council for many years and held the Position of Commander in the Collins Legion. " He was known for his famous one liners, like "You call, we haul and that's all" and "You are Da Buh" He would refer to himself as "Older than dirt" and tell you that he was around when the Dead Sea was still sick. Winston met Karol Warrick in 1992 and on April 1, 2005, they were married. Together they built a life and love that lasted 28 years. During their time together they shared the joys and the sorrows of life, always facing things head on and doing it together. Winston enjoyed watching his beloved Green Bay Packers (especially if they were winning), competing in truck pulls with his truck Cheers and in tractor pulls with Cheers II and spending time with family and friends. His unique way of communicating with people, his endless wit and that twinkle of orneriness in his eyes will be greatly missed by anyone who knew him. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Karol, 7 daughters: Sharon (Bill) Lamb of Sewell, N.J, Pat (Jerold) Fitzgerald of Collins, Karen (Denny) Richards of Madrid, Dana (Abbas) Ghassemi of Merced, CA, Chris (Gerald) Myers of Maxwell, Lisa Reitan of Ankeny and Carmen Rice of Texas, as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren and a niece, Linda and a nephew Tony, both of WI. Winston was preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Jeffery Reitan and daughter Kim Reitan; one sister, Dorothy Kufner and a niece, Cindy Kufner. A celebration of Winston's life will be 2-4 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, at the Collins Area Community Center in Collins. A private family burial and military honors will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Collins. Memorial contributions may be made to the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames in memory of Winston. Rasmusson-Ryan Funeral Home in Nevada is handling arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rasmussonfh.com