Leonard Duane Winter, 89, of Rapid City, South Dakota, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2025. Born on December 2, 1935, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to William Winter and Mable Rieken Winter, Len grew up in Fergus Falls, where he fondly remembered his time spent on the family farm with his Grandma Rieken, Uncle Jake, and Aunt Leora—cherished memories that stayed with him throughout his life.

After graduating from Fergus Falls High School, Len attended North Dakota State Trade School in Wahpeton, North Dakota, in 1956. He moved to Belle Fourche later that year, with plans to continue his journey to Alaska. However, that changed when he met the love of his life, Barbara Bomford. The two married, and Len moved with Barbara to Huron, South Dakota, where he worked for Lambert Lumber and they welcomed their first daughter, Kelly Winter-Howard.

The family returned to Belle Fourche in 1958, where Len embarked on a career in construction. His work on Ellsworth Air Force Base—designing and building roofs for many buildings still standing today—became a lasting legacy. Len retired in 1996 after 35 years of dedicated service.

Throughout their life together, Len and Barbara expanded their family with three more daughters: Wende Montgomery, Sherry Mesowski (Allen), and Misty Binstock (Jeff). Len was deeply proud of his family and found great joy in spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Len had a love for the outdoors, catching rattlesnakes and rabbits for sale in his younger years and developing a deep love of hunting and stream fishing in the Black Hills. He was a dedicated member of the Muzzleloaders of the Black Hills, where he crafted 14 muzzleloading rifles over the years.

Len was preceded in death by his great-grandson, Noah Montgomery. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Winter; his four daughters: Kelly Winter-Howard, her son Brian Winter (Jen Winter) and their children, Connor and Bella; Lacey Wagner (Stewart Wagner) and their children, Madison Reeves (Trey Shipman) and their daughter Octavia and brother on the way, Jaelynn Reeves (Kalub) and Christopher Reeves (Ciara), and Daniel Howard (Kat) and their sons, Kale and Monroe; Wende Montgomery, her son Kenny Montgomery (Becca Risse) and their children, Angie with a baby on the way, Andy, and Dom, and her daughter Kristy Montgomery (Jared) and her son Noah; Sherry Mesowski (Allen Mesowski) and their children: Mellisa Mesowski and daughter Kaylie Bonnette (Conner Warren), Mathew Mesowski (Jenell Murphy) and their son Baby Mesowski, Mark Mesowski, and Mitch Mesowski (Shina) and their dog Cairo; and Misty Binstock (Jeff Binstock) and their children, Jamie Williams, her two children, Ryker and Poppy, and Megan Marvin (Kyle) and their dog, Zoey.

Services will be held at 1:00 PM, Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Spearfish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Spearfish, SD. Burial will follow the service at Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche, SD.

Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Isburg Crematory of Spearfish.