Horst and Heather Winkler
Everyone in Highlands who met Horst Winkler enjoyed his joyous nature, sense of style, and appreciation of community.
He was born into the illustrious Shafenberger wine-making family, dating back to the 1600s. His father, Oscar Winkler, was a renowned German inventor and engineer.
Horst grew up in the picturesque town of Heidelberg, Germany. As a youth, he attended a monastery and furthered his engineering education at Heidelberg University, where he met his wife Margaret Hertel, a marriage that lasted until her passing in 2015.
In the 1960s, the Mercedes-Benz corporation brought him from Germany to Rockefeller Center in New York to assist the famous Mercedes-Benz executive Heinze Hoppe in expanding territories and broadening markets across America. Later, Horst built his highly successful dealership in Indianapolis, Indiana, which remained the area’s sole distributor from inception to its recent sale in 2025.
Horst’s greatest pleasure was traveling in his luxurious Prevo motor homes, which are the size of a bus. During one of those excursions, he drove up the Cullasaja Gorge. For anyone who knows that road, a bus making those turns would be frightening. Not for Horst, who navigated the mountain terrain as Margaret was ready to faint. At the end of the road, the couple discovered Highlands.
They purchased homes in the area, enjoying the community and contributing philanthropically to The Bascom, the hospital, the Town of Highlands, the Playhouse, the Hudson Library, and institutions in other cities. Horst remembered his grandmother calling him into her vast office and teaching him about tithing, which he practiced throughout his lifetime to do good works.
Early in 2024, Horst became a full-time Highlands resident, where he once again found happiness, meeting and then marrying Heather Lowe.
She had moved from Los Angeles several years ago, where she had enjoyed a career as an actress, producer, and director in the motion picture industry. Heather and Horst continued to be enthusiastic benefactors in the area.
Horst passed away in July 2025, just days after The Bascom unveiled the Heather and Horst Winkler Patio and Lawn—a lasting tribute to his generosity and love for the community.
Horst enjoyed a life well lived, and his generosity and good nature will be sadly missed.
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