Neil Winter, Menifee Mayor since 2016, dies suddenly

Neil Winter is sworn in as mayor of Menifee by city clerk Sarah Manwaring on Dec. 7, 2016. Menifee 24/7 file photo

Story updated at 2 a.m. Sunday:

Menifee Mayor Neil Winter, whose grass roots campaign resulted in a victory for the city’s highest political post in 2016, died Saturday night of an apparent heart attack.

Menifee Police Chief Greg Fellows of the Sheriff's Department confirmed Winter's death to Menifee 24/7 about 11:20 p.m. Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Sobek said Winter was pronounced dead at Menifee Valley Medical Center.

Winter was discovered unconscious at his home sometime Saturday evening, a friend of the person who found him told Menifee 24/7. Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez posted the following on her Facebook page late Saturday night:

"It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I must report the passing of Mayor Neil Winter of the City of Menifee. Cal Fire/RVCFD personnel responded to Mayor Winter's home and found him in full arrest. Prayers for his family during this time of tremendous loss."

A brief statement released shortly after midnight by the City of Menifee reads as follows:

“The City of Menifee is mourning the passing of beloved and respected Honorable Mayor Neil
Winter, 65, who passed away late Saturday evening. In respect of the family, and as more
details are released, the City of Menifee will be releasing a full statement in the coming days.”

Neil Winter first gained attention by campaigning for mayor on city street corners. Menifee 24/7 file photo

Winter, who had never before held political office, was elected mayor of Menifee in November 2016, defeating incumbent Scott Mann. A longtime businessman, Winter established himself as a public figure through a grass roots mayoral campaign in which he spent hours each day standing on busy street corners with campaign signs, waving to and speaking to residents.

One of Winter’s campaign promises was to make use of his time as a retiree to make the mayor’s position a more visible one to the public. He kept that promise, appearing at virtually any business ribbon cutting, major club activity, awards ceremony and other special events. Many residents had just seen him at the Menifee Arts Showcase Saturday afternoon at Countryside Marketplace.

Winter first ran for public office in 2014, losing to Lesa Sobek in the race for the City Council District 3 seat. When he ran against Mann in 2016, he received 51.5 percent of the votes.

"Over the last two or three weeks, I've gotten so much positive energy from people coming up to me, I felt I had a lot of the grassroots votes,” Winter said upon learning about his election to office. “I think there were a lot of people who voted this time that probably hadn't voted in the past.

“By me being out there ... it's amazing how many people came up to me in the last week and said, 'I already voted for you. You got this, man.' It has a lot to do with being on the street. Social media played a huge role in it, too."

Winter was very active on Facebook and other social media platforms, often answering residents’ questions on Facebook about local issues. He also held “Meet the Mayor” events around town. During his time as mayor, The City of Menifee sought and approved multiple major housing and commercial developments and provided oversight of tax revenue funds received through Measure DD.

Winter is the third member of the City Council to die while in office in Menifee’s nearly 10 years as an incorporated city. Vice Mayor Fred Twyman died in June 2011 of a heart attack at age 46. Wallace Edgerton, Menifee’s first mayor and a longtime City Council member, died in May 2015 at the age of 81 after a long battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Feeling comfortable with his reputation as the “people’s mayor”, Winter said he never had any aspirations of a political position other than one that could help his own city.

"I said I would never stand on the shoulders of the voters to go somewhere else," Winter told Menifee 24/7 in January. "I have no other plan but to be the mayor here every day, and every day is different."

Winter admitted having a learning curve at first, but he quickly adapted to the mayor's position. Menifee 24/7 file photo

Winter joined local veterans in paying tribute to 96-year-old resident Don Reed in December 2016. Menifee 24/7 file photo

On Opening Day for Menifee Valley Little League in March 2017, Winter threw out the first pitch. Menifee 24/7 file photo

On short notice, Winter dropped in on a birthday party for 105-year-old Marcella Rusch, Menifee's oldest resident, in 2017. Menifee 24/7 file photo

Winter was front and center at the ribbon cutting for the new Sheriff's substation in March. Menifee 24/7 file photo