Galen David Winter, age 85 of Shawano, passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at his home. Born on August 29, 1926 in a second story bedroom in the family home on Swan Street in Shawano, he was the son of the late David Herman and Blanche Clarissa (Gale) Winter. At the age of 17, Galen joined the United States Navy and served his country for two years during World War II. Upon his honorable discharge from service, he furthered his education at the University of Wisconsin receiving a Bachelorate in Political Science and a Doctorate in Law. He then practiced law in Shawano for a year. On December 25, 1951 Galen married Jessine Larson in Clarendon Hills, Illinois. The couple honeymooned in Mexico and spent a year in Glendale, Arizona where he attended The American Graduate School on International Management. There he received what is now called a Master's Degree in International Business Administration and became fluent in the Spanish language. He began his career by working in the International Division of the U.S. Rubber Company. After about a year, he left in favor of a position in the International Reinsurance Division of the North American Insurance Companies in Philadelphia. The INA sent him to its Latin American office in Mexico City where his position consisted of negotiating and managing contracts between the INA and private Latin American companies and governments. While working there he traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, from Mexico south through Central America, and the northern half of South America. In 1957 the United States Chamber of Commerce appointed Galen as a United States Delegate to the 7th International Insurance Conference held in Caracas, Venezuela. When the INA's Latin Operations were transferred to Puerto Rico, Galen and his family moved to San Juan. After a few years there, Galen assumed a reinsurance position in the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Though the job specifications continued to be centered in Latin American and the Caribbean, it expanded to include the Philippine Republic and Israel. When Galen left the Lincoln to engage in domestic corporate law work, he first worked for the Old Line Life Insurance Company in Milwaukee and then at the General Finance Corporation in Chicago, working at the Assistant General Counsel for both companies. In 1972 he left corporate practice in favor of private practice in a place where he "hung out my shingle" in Shawano, a place, he said, where a man can associate with dogs and shotguns without arousing too much suspicion. His practice was successful and gave his time to engage in other activities. Wisconsin Governor Drefuss appointed Galen to a board investigating the Department of Natural Resources operations. Galen also ran for circuit court judgeship once and proved, beyond all reasonable doubt, that he was NOT a politician. He became a Consultant in International affairs for the International Bowling Federation, a position that took him all over this hemisphere to as far east as London and as far west as Taiwan. Galen was an avid outdoorsman. He hunted or fished throughout the world including Argentina, Uruguay, the Amazon River Basin, Ecuador, Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, all over the United States and Canada, and as far north as the islands 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Galen was a member of the American Legion since 1948. Upon his return to Shawano, he also became active in Masonic matters and was President of the Wisconsin Masonic Foundation as well as Trustee of the Grand Lodge of Masons of Wisconsin. He raised the funds needed to construct the Meilke Theatre in Shawano and managed its affairs for the first two years of its existence. He also became President of the Shawano Civic Players. Galen also began to write "back page" columns for outdoor sports magazines and had over 200 of his columns and articles published, with some of them reprinted in outdoor story anthologies. He also edited a wild game cookbook, published six books of hunting and fishing stories and wrote two novels entitled "Summer of 38" and "The Aegis Conspiracy." Galen is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jessine; 3 children, Atty. Paul G. (Mary) Winter of Shawano, Atty. Kathryn G.W. (Robert) Cowdery of Tallahassee, Florida, Julia M. Winter of Tallahassee, Florida; and 5 grandchildren, Christopher, Matthew and Colleen Cowdery, Kelsey Tinsman and Madelyn Winter. Galen was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Douglas Winter. A Masonic Memorial Service, open to the public, will be held at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at Mason Woods, N6446 Emery Ansorge Road, Cecil (715-745-4330) with Shawano Masonic Lodge Jim Zimmerman as Conducting Master. Family will receive friends Wednesday after 5:00pm until the time of the service. A memorial fund has been established for the Shawano County Historical Society, 524 N. Franklin St, Shawano, Wisconsin 54166. www.swedbergfuneralhome.com