Winfried Holderied
Winfried Holderied died Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at the age of 90, in his home surrounded by his family. Although a humble cabinet maker by trade, in his soul, Wini was a builder. He built houses, fountains, stone walls and waterfalls, a car wash, motels, resorts and even a shopping mall. He created businesses and helped shape communities. He built a wonderful family that is strong and fueled by a million memories, endless laughter, beer and schnapps.
Of course, he could not have accomplished any of this without his magnificent wife of 64 years, Stefanie Holderied. Her intelligence and devotion, combined with his big dreams, created a legacy in Lake Placid that we can only hope to live up to.
Builders are inherently optimistic and creative — they are dreamers. In the early years, his greatest achievement was the ability to view any failures as steps to success, with no loss of enthusiasm. Wini saw possibility everywhere he looked. Whether he was looking at a person or building, he saw the potential of what it could be. He left every place he ever lived a little more beautiful than it was when he arrived, whether in his birth country of Germany or here in the United States. He made you believe you could live your impossible dreams, because he and Stefy have done it.
Besides his “so-o-o beautiful” wife, “our Opa” leaves behind three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A life is built upon the foundation of the ones who came before. Wini built us the strongest foundation you can imagine. We promise to create beauty and potential on top of it. And above all, like he so often told us when we were arguing: “liebet Euch,” which means love one another. Some fires are never extinguished, just passed to another torch.
A celebration of life will be held for Wini at Generations Restaurant on Main Street in Lake Placid starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22. We invite anyone who he ever made smile to attend and raise your glass one last time to Opa.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to High Peaks Hospice, 454 Glen St., Glens Falls NY 12801.
The M. B. Clark, Inc., Funeral Home in Lake Placid is in charge of arrangements. Please visit www.mbclarkfuneralhome.com to share a memory or leave condolences for the Holderied family.