The Gary Winner
Glioblastoma Research Fund

If you knew Gary, you probably heard him before you saw him, a guitar riff drifting from another room, a comment about coffee or how much he loved his daughters. Born and raised in Chicago, Gary carried that city's warmth, charisma and grit with him everywhere, even after California stole his heart. For over 45 years, the guitar was never far from his hands and neither were his golf clubs. Above all else, he was a devoted father of his two daughters, Madison and Tori, who were the loves of his life, and with everything he did, these two were his top priority.

Gary did things his own way. He ran his own coffee business and could tell you exactly where your beans originated from just by the smell. He was a true music aficionado, the kind who didn't just listen to songs but knew them, their stories, their players, and he passed that love down to his girls. He made sure they knew every song he liked and who sang it.

Across a chessboard he was patient, sharp, and quietly ruthless. A Chicago kid who became a Californian to his core, he loved the sun, the coast, and the easy pace of a good day, he loved where he lived and took advantage of all that there was to offer.

On Thanksgiving 2025, Gary was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers there is. The months that followed asked everything of him and he faced them surrounded by his mother (Diane Winner), daughters (Madison & Tori Winner), their husbands (Eric Cruickshank and Connor Holloway) and Anne Nebenzahl - by music, love and always a fantastic bite to eat wherever he found it in Los Angeles.

He died on June 9, 2026, held close by the people who loved him most.

Created in partnership with The Glioblastoma Research Organization, The Gary Winner Glioblastoma Research Fund supports urgently needed research into glioblastoma, a disease that still has too few treatments and takes too many people too soon. Every gift made in Gary's memory helps move that research forward, so other families might get more time, more options, and one day, a cure.

It's a legacy worthy of the man: generous, warm and built to help others survive.