"A friend above all Myles I miss you. Your devoted friend. John Long"
In loving memory of
D. Myles Winbigler
September 5, 1941 - March 18, 2026
D. Myles Winbigler, Passed away at home in Bellevue, WA on March 18th, 2026, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Family and friends were at his side, he was 84 years old.
Myles was born on September 5th, 1941, in Palo Alto, California, to Mary Elizabeth Winbigler (Gleason) and H. Donald Winbigler. He was raised in Los Altos Hills and later graduated from Stanford University with a master's degree in mathematics. Upon completing his degree at Stanford University, he was hired by Boeing and continued his career there until his retirement.
Myles first love was racing, He was an SCCA racer from as far back as the early 60's, he raced his Austin-Healy Sprite to several finishes on the podium. Myles took a leave from racing around 1969. His race team, Team 81, was disbanded for a time but would ultimately be reunited.
Shortly after his leave Myles met the second love of his life, Retta. They were married in 1973 and were together for 52 years. Myles career with Boeing came to an end when Myles was 58 years old, Myles always said, "Boeing gave me the golden handshake", early retirement. So, he would ask himself, "what to do"? I know, I will start racing again. Myles had a plan, to get Retta to go along with his plan she would need to be involved, so Myles introduced Retta to racing. When she got behind the wheel of a racecar for the first time, she was hooked. The race team was called back, Team 81 and Mad Mollusk Racing were back in business. They shared this adventure for many years.
Myles was the definition of a devoted husband and father. His devotion to his family was unwavering. He loved his wife with all of his being, with their partnership being unshakeable. To his three children (Tony, Jason and Megan) he was not only a father but a mentor, he was wise and always ready with a solution to that day's problem. He will be forever missed.
Myles was consistently active and set an example of humility, compassion, kindness, and generosity while fostering friendships. His life was defined by service to others, he gave far more than he received and was loyal to a fault. These are some of the many qualities Myles possessed that made him so popular with everyone he met.
Myles loved to travel, he took many trips to Europe, to include England, France, Switzerland and Ireland, he travelled to Africa and Russia as well. Myles also found joy in the smallest things. He enjoyed going to many of the Village Theater productions and when he thought the show was particularly good, he would say "that was delightful". He also enjoyed going out to dinner with friends and he had a particular habit of taking a picture of his plate when it was brought to the table. He loved socializing and loved sharing many interesting stories about his childhood and upbringing. He loved family reunions which were held in different locations around the country, he would visit with the cousins for hours and get caught up on all the news.
Myles is survived by his beloved wife, Retta, his son Tony Mitchell and wife Karin, of Post Falls, Idaho, and daughter Megan Porter of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by both of his parents H. Donald and Mary Elizabeth Winbigler and one son, Jason Mitchell.
At Myles request, cremation has taken place and services are being planned for a future date. Memories of Myles and messages of condolence may be shared on this webpage under the "Tributes" tab.
Tributes
"My late husband, Jess Heitman, admired and loved Myles and Retta very much. Jess raced FV as did Retta. I only met them a couple of times but soon learned why they were held in high regard by all that met them both. May we all meet up again at some racetrack in the next world. "
"I knew Myles for over 50 years and after he joined our Sales & Marketing organization in Boeing Commercial Airplanes. . We were very close friends (both inside and outside of Boeing) and shared many wonderful memories. His office was right next to mine most of the time during my last 10 years before I retired. We were even in the same group during a portion of my last years there. My wife and I were really fond of the annual Christmas parties that Myles and Retta hosted at their wonderful home. After Myles retired, he attended most of our four ?retirees? lunches that we had each and every month as well as our annual Classics Reunion. He will be thoroughly missed and he was such a great friend and colleague. Rest in Peace my friend. "
"Myles will be missed in many circles. I got to know Myles about 30 years ago at Boeing after a mutual friend of ours died while mountaineering in Alaska. I shared with him what details I knew of the tragedy. I?ll never forget his astute observation about our friend after I told him the story of a climb my daughter and I had made with the friend. I?ve shared that memory many times with others, and it will remain with me always with respect, appreciation, and love. I was so happy to find him in a couple of retiree lunch circles I joined in recent years, and will always value his friendship and wisdom."
"Myles (with Retta) and I were friends for more than 30 years. He was a staunch friend and fellow traveller. I have great memories of trips up and down the West Coast and one memorable trip to Eastern Canada for vintage car races. When I was down to Seattle for a race weekend I would frequently stay with Myles and Retta. They were fabulous hosts. I miss him badly and always will. "