Jeanette WinfreeGALVESTON — Jeanette Winfree passed away on August 21, 2007, after a long illness. She was born and raised in Orange, Texas, graduated from Sam Houston State University, followed by a move to Galveston, where she obtained a second degree in physical therapy in 1961 from The University of Texas Medical Branch. Jeanette was an entrepreneur at heart, having learned early from her father, who gave her responsibility for running the family meat market at the age of 16. She used this business acumen to open a private practice in physical therapy in 1964, one of the very first woman-owned private practices in the country at that time. Jeanette was one of the first in the nation to realize the tremendous value of exercise and physical fitness for the elderly. In 1966 she established a women’s fitness program in the YMCA and in that same year established the Medicare home health program for the city of Galveston. In the 1980’s she was instrumental in developing a therapeutic horseback riding program for brain injured individuals. During her career, she provided quality care to generations of Galvestonians and was known for her ethical, caring practice. She mentored hundreds of students and colleagues who sought her clinical and management expertise. She served her profession from the local to the national and international levels through the American Physical Therapy Association and World Confederation for Physical Therapy. To honor her dedication and service, the Texas Physical Therapy Association established a Jeanette Winfree Service Award which is given annually to a physical therapist who embodies the standard of service which Jeanette set.In recognition of her tremendous influence, a group of alumni and friends are honoring Jeanette’s unrelenting service to the profession, school and community by creating at UTMB the Jeanette Winfree Distinguished Professorship in Physical Therapy.Jeanette is survived by her colleague and partner of many years, Madeleine Baker; her brother Lester “Buckshot” Winfree and wife Barbara; her beloved nieces Leslie Holtkamp and Elizabeth Neely; and nephew Will Winfree, and their families. She is also survived by her beloved aunt, Ellen Ratcliff. Special thanks are due to the caring staffs of Libbie’s Place in Galveston and The Cottages at Clear Lake in League City. We are also indebted to the devoted service of her caregiver Bettye Greer. A memorial service for Jeanette will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 502 Church St. in Galveston from 7-9 pm on Friday evening, August 31. Donations in lieu of flowers may be directed to the Jeanette Winfree Distinguished Professorship Fund at UTMB in Galveston.
Published August 23, 2007, Galveston News
