Hannah Rebecca Winkler
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9
Hannah attended New Life Christian Academy, Central Middle School, and Port Huron High School (Class of 2014). She graduated from St. Clair County Community College with an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences in Early Childhood Education in 2016. She had a heart for young children and desired to become a preschool instructor. She had a special affinity for children’s literature and had many ideas for books she hoped to write in the future.
She was sweet, silly, loving, and infectiously joyful. Any tiny, cute animal immediately had her heart. One of Hannah’s lifelong loves was dancing. She eventually went on to combine her passion for dance and teaching by becoming a dance instructor for many years. Hannah became involved with theater in elementary school and continued to participate in many productions into college and beyond. She adored children and treasured her role as a nanny. Artistic and creative, she constantly made gifts to surprise her loved ones. She enjoyed helping to plan family events such as birthdays, showers, and weddings, and always went above and beyond to make them very special. Hannah was especially close to our tight-knit family, and truly was a part of the mortar that held our family together.
Hannah was crowned Miss Teen Detroit in 2015, where her platform was invisible disabilities. Hannah was a spectacular young woman who spent her life living with and raising awareness for invisible disabilities, congenital heart defects, and pulmonary hypertension. She had a heart for others whose lives are impacted by disabilities and illnesses, especially children. She was born with an extremely rare, congenital heart defect called aortopulmonary window – a hole in her heart between her aorta and pulmonary artery. Because this defect was not found until she was 13 years old, she had developed secondary pulmonary hypertension. The combination of these issues is a condition called Eisenmenger’s Syndrome. A specialist at U of M once said that seeing her exact combination of health issues was like seeing a three-legged unicorn walking into the waiting room. In typical Hannah fashion, she embraced the “three-legged unicorn” moniker, and used it for humor.
Our family is thankful for all the loving support we have received, both before and since Hannah’s passing. We were able to be right by Hannah’s side 24/7 and fight as hard as we humanly could for her. She fought a very tough and prolonged battle; she was unbelievably strong. We do not understand why this was the outcome, but we trust in God’s plan for her and our lives. We grieve mightily for our loss. Hannah was, and is, a huge bright spot in all our lives. We will never be able to relay just how wonderful she was. We are thankful for every one of her 23 years with us and hope this scholarship will continue to honor her memory for many years to come.
Hannah’s life, in a printed book
We design every page from Hannah’s 59 photos. Make it yours, then order a copy for everyone who loved Hannah.
All-Accessible Playground Opens at Gratiot Park
The world Hannah knew
Family milestones in gold, history for context
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