Obituary of Laurence Van Winkle
Larry passed away at the age of eighty-three on July 12, 2023, in the Center for Hope Hospice facility in Scotch Plains, NJ. A lifelong resident of North Plainfield, Larry graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1958. He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the College of New Jersey, (formally Trenton State). He also earned a degree as a Paralegal.
Larry served his Country in the U.S. Navy and then his community joining the North Plainfield police department in 1962. Earning multiple certifications in law enforcement, and rising through the ranks, including a twenty-eight-year stint in the Detective Division, Larry achieved the departments highest rank, Chief of Police, capping his forty-three-year carrier on the Force.
Larry was inducted into the North Plainfield High School Hall of Fame in 2007. He was very well known and respected in North Plainfield.
There were many things Larry was interested in, especially fishing and classic cars. Every year he would look forward to towing his boat up to Lake George, New York, meeting with friends and family, including his two sons, to go fishing and conducting many practical jokes. Larry was quite a humorous individual, as those who knew him will attest.
His 1958 Chevy Impala, which he spent several years restoring, was his pride and joy. He was proud when it was featured in the pages of a national classic car magazine.
Through the years, many asked Larry for help, and he always obliged. He sacrificed time away from family in his 24/7 law enforcement role. He faced several moments, on the job, when he might not have come home, but thankfully did.
Larry was predeceased by his mother, Julia Agnes Phelan Van Winkle, and his father Nicholas Van Winkle.
He is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Dolores Stephan Van Winkle, two sons, Thomas and Brian Van Winkle, and three grandchildren, Ashley, Dylan, and Nicholas Van Winkle.
Funeral arrangements are provided by Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd, Watchung, NJ. Visiting hours are from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 16, 2023. Mass will be held at St. Josephs RC Church, Corner of Watchung Ave and Jackson Ave North Plainfield, NJ, on Monday, July 17, 2023, at 10 a.m., followed by interment at Resurrection Cemetery, Piscataway, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
