By Meagan Pollnow
Enquirer staff writer

WESTWOOD - After Leonard Winiarski retired in 1990, he couldn't sit still.

After eating corn at his daughter's home in Bath, Ind., the former Western-Southern Life Insurance Co. vice president wandered next door to thank the farmer neighbors for the fresh and tasty produce.

He decided then that he wanted others to share his enthusiasm for locally grown fruits and vegetables and opened a produce stand in Westwood.

Mr. Winiarski, known as the "fresh produce man of Western Hills," died Saturday of complications from congestive heart failure. He was 71.

Mr. Winiarski's son Christopher of Westwood said he took pride in his produce stand, located at Sylved and Muddy Creek roads.

"He would get up at 3 a.m. and go to local farms and then start selling produce," he said, "seven days a week." He ran the stand from June through October each year until 2002.

Bill Weber of Delhi Township, Mr. Winiarski's best friend, said he had "the ability to give and give, and give some more."

"You would always walk away with more than you bought," Weber said. "He had a little way of giving you more, giving you a hug, walking you to your car."

Weber said that if someone asked for a couple ears of corn, that customer would go home with at least four ears of corn and a couple of tomatoes.

"He sold out every day," he said. "He bought new produce every day."

Mr. Winiarski's generosity didn't end when he left the produce stand.

He donated time and money to the Catholic community and volunteered as a crossing guard at St. Catharine Schoolin Westwood, his son said. In 1997, he was voted Cincinnati's "Crossing Guard of the Year."

He served in the Air Force from 1953-57 in Korea.

Weber recalled an instance when his life was saved by Mr. Winiarski's generosity.

When Weber, who worked with Mr. Winiarski at Western-Southern for 25 years, was in Florida with his family, he called Mr. Winiarski and told him he was feeling very ill. Mr. Winiarski met Weber and his family at the airport. He came with a wheelchair and took Weber directly to the hospital.

Once there, doctors diagnosed Weber with appendicitis.

"The next day, when my parents were at my bedside, the doctor told me - 'If that man didn't get you here right away yesterday, I don't know what would've happened.' "

In addition to his son Christopher, Mr. Winiarski's survivors include: his wife of 48 years, Patricia; another son, Leonard Jr. of Bridgetown; five daughters, Patricia of Delhi Township, Stephanie of Hidden Valley, Grace of Bath, Jacquelyn of North Bend and Jennifer of Brookville, Ind.; two sisters, Antoinette Samm and Dolores Kampert; a brother, Francis; and 15 grandchildren. Services have been held.

Memorials: The Fresh Fund at St. Catharine, 2848 Fischer Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211.

E-mail mpollnow@enquirer.com