Gift and home icon Bill Winsor of Dallas Market Center dies at 78
Bill Winsor served as president and CEO of Dallas Market Center from 1993-2015 and continued in an active role as chairman emeritus.
DALLAS- Bill Winsor, chairman emeritus of Dallas Market Center and the market’s longtime former president and CEO, died on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, following a brief illness. He was 78.
Winsor served as president and chief executive of Dallas Market Center from 1993-2015. He was named chairman emeritus in 2015 and remained active in the business.
“To sum up his career and service to our business, exhibitors, customers and employees is almost impossible,” said Cindy Morris, Dallas Market Center CEO and president. “He would be the first to give credit to others but Bill’s leadership, ideas and steady support reshaped our business. In fact, his guidance not only forged Dallas Market Center’s reputation and position globally but he served as a mentor to many of us. I was fortunate to work alongside him for more than 30 years.”
“Bill was a great leader and always treated everyone with respect and kindness,” said Sharon Davis, executive director of ART. “He was a great friend to many and an ardent supporter of ART. He will be missed.”
Over the course of his career with Dallas Market Center, Winsor guided the growth, strategy, management and merchandising of what is today a five million square foot B2B marketplace, according to a release from Dallas Market Center. His most recent business development successes included guiding the launch of the Western and English marketplace at Dallas Market Center in 2021, and in December 2024 the debut of a specialized trade event for nearshoring which brought together brands with vetted factories and supply chain service providers from Mexico and Latin America.
Prior to his appointment to Dallas Market Center, Winsor served as president and general manager of Infomart, a former technology trade mart in Dallas. He joined Crow Family Holdings in November 1981 to establish Infomart where he was responsible for marketing, sales, operations and administration acting in the capacity of general manager. Winsor was recruited by Trammell Crow from Texas Instruments where he was responsible for corporate marketing and merchandising for five product groups including consumer goods, digital systems, geophysical services, government services and semi-conductors.
A graduate of Southwest Texas State University, Winsor held a bachelor’s degree in communications. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Winsor, sons Mark and Kelley (wife Lacy), and three grandchildren. Winsor is described as a devoted husband, father and grandfather. Away from work, Winsor was a noted historian, amateur archaeologist, and enthusiastic Texas rancher. Over the course of his life, he published several books and articles on Texas history, information about which can be found online at his website.
Memorial service details will be announced soon.
See also:
What's Your Reaction?
