Sir Nicholas Winton, a British citizen who during World War II singlehandedly rescued hundreds of Jewish children from what would have been certain death at the hand of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, died on July 1, 2015 at the age of 106.
Winton had three biological children; the Jews he saved “adopted” him as their own. Many of these survivors now have grandchildren and great grandchildren of their own, all of whom would not be here but for Winton’s intervention. His influence literally transcends generations.
Although he’s been the topic of many books and television programs and was decorated by the British Crown, almost nothing can justly explain Nicholas Winton’s selfless humanitarianism.
Sir Nicholas Winton was the topic of this January 17, 2015 Twenty First Summer article and I urge anyone who may have missed it the first time to read it now and get a small insight as to who Winton was. He is a person everyone should know about.
I am confident that there are others like Winton living today, anonymously doing what they know is right even at great risk to their own safety. The Nazis have been vanquished but there are other factions out there just as bad and in many ways worse. We will never be able to stomp all of them out completely, but we can follow Winton’s example, push back in every way we can, and support those who do the kind of work most of the rest of us don’t have the courage to take on ourselves.
When I wrote my original article back in January, I knew that due to Winton’s age it was only a matter of a short time before I would have to follow up with this tribute. I was not expecting it to be a matter of months. This is a horrible loss.
Twenty First Summer mourns the death of Sir Nicholas Winton and extends its deepest sympathy to his “real” and “adopted” family.