Ex-Montclair Resident, Journalist Killed In Annapolis Shooting

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Wendi Winters was a "character" whose sense of humor and warmth made her an irreplaceable member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the church’s former pastor says. It’s only one of the reasons that those who knew the late journalist during her time in Montclair will miss her, The Rev. Charles Ortman told NorthJersey.com.

Authorities recently identified Winters, 65, as one of the five victims killed in a "targeted attack" on the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland on June 28. Two other people were wounded in the shooting.

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The mother of four attended Unitarian Universalist during the 1990s for about a decade, NorthJersey.com reported.

Winters daughter Winters Geimer said that she believes the best thing people can do to honor her mother is to give back, Fios1News.com reported.

"If people loved my mother they should show that love by giving back to the community the way that she would have," Geimer said.

Winters set aside a career in fashion and public relations in New York City 20 years ago and moved to Maryland, where she began working as a stringer for the Capital Gazette. Her reliability as a freelance writer and well-known community resource earned her a permanent spot at the newspaper in 2013.

She loved and was talented at documenting both people's individual achievements and community milestones, former Capital Gazette community news editor Leslie Hunt told The Baltimore Sun.

"She loves the news business," Hunt said.

"She really loved storytelling," added Kathryn Flynn, a longtime editor at the Capital Gazette. "She loved working with people."

Her daughter, Winters Geimer, told The Sun that her mother was "a wonderful woman and a fantastic reporter."

"Her life was a gift to everyone who knew her and the world will not be the same without her," she said.

Winters studied fashion design at Virginia Commonwealth University and ran her own boutique company in New York specializing in runway shows and other fashion events. She wasn't formally trained in journalism, but said in an online profile that she learned to report from her professional experience and her role as a mother.

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With reporting by Beth Dalbey, Patch National Staff

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