Lewisburg, PA — Larry Winans, the co-founder of Jackass Brewing Company known to many as “King Larry,” died on June 21 at the age of 61.
He suffered a cardiac arrest during the swim portion of the Happy Valley Ironman 70.3 on June 14, surrounded by the sport he loved for years.
Winans is survived by his wife of nearly 33 years, Xaña, their children Ryder and Savannah, and his sisters Michelle Zilkowski and Cindy Munch.
He and Xaña met in 1991 while working together at Jellyrolls, a dueling piano bar, and married on October 30, 1993. Friends say he often told Xaña that he dreamed of one day owning a place just like it, a dream he eventually fulfilled.
From dentistry to brewing
For 25 years, Winans worked as a dentist and even became an instructor of cosmetic dentistry at the well-known LVI training institute. But in 2020, he stepped away from that career to chase a new passion alongside his best friend, Skip Kratzer.
What started as a home brewing hobby between the two friends grew into Jackass Brewing Company, which opened its first location in Lewisburg in March 2020, just days before COVID shutdowns swept the state.
The business later expanded to a second location in Williamsport in 2023.
When Xaña asked him what his mission would be as he leaped brewing, he reportedly answered simply: “My mission in life is to make people smile; I’m just doing it a different way.”
In a statement, Jackass Brewing called him “a partner, a brother, and a dear friend,” adding that “every corner of Jackass Brewing Company has Larry’s fingerprints on it.” The company said it plans to keep both locations running as a tribute to the vision he helped build.
A life of passion and connection
Beyond the brewery, Winans poured himself into everything he touched. As a soccer coach at Lewisburg High School, he helped guide the team to back-to-back state championships.
He was a devoted Jimmy Buffett fan, attending 34 of his concerts over the years with his family.
And as an avid triathlete, he completed eight full Ironmans and fifteen half Ironmans, along with numerous marathons, often pointing to the Ironman tattoo on his calf as he told the story of how his very first marathon came at the tail end of an Ironman race.
Those who knew him say his warmth and humor made strangers feel like old friends. He had a habit of finding some small thing in common with everyone he met, creating a sense of connection that people remembered long after.
Following his passing, his family found a handwritten bucket list that included the goal of being “revered, with evidence of mass public adoration.” As his children put it, that was simply “so Dad.”
A visitation will be held from 12 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, at Rooke Chapel on the campus of Bucknell University, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m. A celebration of his life will follow at Jackass Brewing Company in Lewisburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Gift of Life Donor Program.
