Longtime Elmhurst police officer remembered

Elmhurst police are remembering longtime resident and retired officer Joseph Winkler, who served the department and community for 34 years.

Winkler, 81, died Wednesday after a brief illness. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 134 Arthur St., Elmhurst.

Winkler joined the police department in 1958 and served until 1992, including a lengthy stint on the traffic enforcement unit.

Officials said Winkler often would keep his eyes open for speeders and drunken drivers while conducting patrols on his three-wheel motorcycle, which he rode for much of the year.

Winkler was an Army veteran and proud of both his military and police service, those who knew him said.

After retiring from the police department, he spent 11 years working as a code enforcement officer for the city. He also served in the Illinois Police Association, an organization that lobbies on behalf of the state's law enforcement officers.

Winkler is survived by his wife, Virginia, as well as eight children, 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.