James Donald Winter, a longtime volunteer at the Baltimore Gay Paper and Community Center during the 1980's and early 1990's, died on October 31, 2009 at the age of 86.

Jim joined the Gay Paper in 1979 at a time when the staff was composed of volunteers who worked out of a Charles Village rowhouse basement. He functioned as a typesetter, proof reader, satirical cartoonist, writer, office assistant, and circulation manager. His cartoons and articles appeared under the names of Don Tallman and Jay Winn. He also worked on the Gay Community Center’s switchboard and in the clinic.

Jim generously purchased and contributed office supplies, fax machines, and window air conditioners to the fledgling Gay Paper and Community Center out of his own funds. Paper volunteers from those early years remember being regularly treated to bean sprout sandwiches on whole wheat from The Green Earth, courtesy of Jim. He worked closely with Community Center and Gay Paper business managers Harvey Schwartz, Jon DeHart, and Mike Chase during their respective tenures.

Ever a promoter of our community, Jim donated a glockenspiel to the fledgling Charm City Brigade which represented Baltimore in the New York City Gay Parade.

Jim’s interest in The Gay Paper and the Community Center stemmed from his growing up and coming of age in an earlier, less enlightened area and time. Moving to Baltimore from his native West Virginia in 1943, Jim was hired by the new Social Security Administration. He retired from that agency in 1978 following a 35 year career. Jim was well aware of the prejudices and perils of the “McCarthy” period, recalling years later a number of Gay and Lesbian coworkers who felt obliged to enter into “cover” marriages to protect their careers and livelihoods with the SSA.

Jim was a Renaissance man whose interests extended well beyond his federal civil service career. He enjoyed literature, the arts, photography, cars and electronics. He was an early adopter of computers and was fascinated with electronic gadgets and labor‐saving devices of all sorts. Jim experimented with painting and designed a number of original pieces of furniture for his apartment. During the 1980’s he was instrumental in the formation of the music appreciation group, Forte, and in the early nineties he did publicity and mailings for the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre.

James Donald Winter was an intelligent, witty, gentle and generous man who made a difference in many people’s lives. His generosity often went unnoticed, as he was a some‐what shy man who was never self‐promoting. Yet he was a benefactor in the truest sense to his adopted city, to his many friends, and to the gay community.