Mark Winston kept a small copy of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in his pocket. It was typical of a man who believed deeply in the rule of law and in the responsibility of citizens to improve their communities, his family said.
Winston, a Potomac attorney and longtime public servant who helped guide housing and transportation policy in Montgomery County and statewide, died on March 11 at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., of sepsis. He was 76.
A lawyer by temperament as well as profession, Winston believed strongly in the precision of language and the importance of legal principles. His wife, Bonnie Casper, said he often described law school as formative because it taught him to think carefully and to weigh words closely.
“He always said law school was great training,” Casper said. “It taught him how to think, how to organize his thoughts and that words matter.”
Those instincts shaped a career that blended private legal practice with decades of civic leadership in Montgomery County.
Winston served about 16 years on the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, including as chairman, later chaired the Maryland State Transportation Commission and served on the State Roads Commission. He also led the Montgomery County Transit Task Force, advising county leaders on plans to expand bus rapid transit.
“He always wanted to see the best for his community,” his wife said. “The county, the state — that was his community, and he cared deeply about making it better.”
Born on May 15, 1949, in Salisbury, Maryland, Winston moved as a toddler with his mother and father to the Buffalo, New York, area. His father, Manuel, managed a large commercial warehouse operation. He was an only child whose upbringing centered largely around suburban Buffalo life.
“He talked about it as kind of an idyllic suburban experience,” his daughter, Blair Casper Winston, said.
After high school, Winston moved to Washington to attend Georgetown University. He remained in the region for law school at Georgetown University Law Center, a decision that anchored both his professional life and civic involvement in the Washington area.
Following law school, Winston clerked for Judge David Norman of the D.C. Superior Court before beginning his legal career with the Civil Aeronautics Board, the federal agency that regulated airline routes and fares before airline deregulation in 1978.
He later worked at an insurance defense firm before shifting toward transactional law, advising clients on business deals, commercial real estate and leasing.
Casper said her husband found particular satisfaction in helping clients bring projects and business plans to life.
“He truly was a lawyer’s lawyer,” she said.
Alongside his legal career, Winston devoted significant time to public service in Montgomery County. During those years, the Housing Opportunities Commission issued more than $1 billion in financing, supporting housing developments across the county.
Casper said her husband became deeply interested in housing issues because he believed affordable housing was essential to the health of a community.
“He recognized that the community needed more affordable housing,” she said.
Casper said elected officials often turned to Winston for advice on policy and development issues.
“He was someone they trusted,” she said.
Within the Jewish community, Winston was active for many years at Washington Hebrew Congregation, where he served on the board for roughly 16 years and held leadership roles including vice president, treasurer, chair of the budget committee and general counsel.
Casper said her husband’s Jewish identity was often expressed through intellectual engagement and ethical values rather than ritual observance.
“He was very much focused on the idea of ‘do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God,’” she said, quoting the biblical verse from Micah.
Blair Winston described her father as thoughtful and deliberate.
“He didn’t rush to conclusions,” she said. “He was always trying to understand the world around him.”
Outside of work, Winston enjoyed traveling and reading, particularly history and biographies. A lifelong golfer who learned the sport from his father, he also attended Baltimore Orioles games for many years and later held season tickets for the Washington Nationals.
At home, Winston was deeply devoted to his family. He met his wife on a blind date arranged by a mutual acquaintance. The couple were married for more than four decades.
Casper said her husband was a hands-on father who remained closely involved in every stage of their daughter’s life.
“He was always there,” she said.
Blair Winston said her father was known among friends for his loyalty and generosity.
“He really cared about the people in his life,” she said.
Even during the final years of his life, after a stroke more than a decade ago left him with physical limitations, Winston remained engaged with his work and relationships, and continued practicing law until about six months before his death.
Casper said her husband’s defining qualities were kindness, steadiness and a commitment to improving the world around him.
“He wanted to leave the world a better place than how he found it.”
Ellen Braunstein is a freelance writer.
