Kenneth Pennington

Kenneth Anderson Pennington passed away peacefully on June 01, 2024, at Westminster Lakeland formerly known as Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland, Florida.

He was 105 years old and, obviously, lived life to the fullest.

Kenneth was born at Town Point, Maryland, on March 14, 1919, the son of Alexander Hamilton and Mary Lodge Pennington.

In 1924 his family moved to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he attended Kruger Street, Edgington Lane, Woodsdale, and Triadelphia Regional High Schools.

Kenneth joined the US Navy in 1937. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia until the attack on Pearl Harbor when he was ordered to the US Fleet Air Base outside of Reykjavik, Iceland. In 1943, Kenneth was transferred to the USS Princeton where he was the Engineering Chief of the torpedo planes. In 1944, the USS Princeton was sunk during the battle of Leyte Gulf near the Philippines, but Kenneth was able to escape to another ship, The Irwin. Shortly after he was assigned to the USS Midway as the Flight Deck Chief until 1948. During the Korean Conflict he was transferred to the Naval Air Station in Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. He remained there until he moved to Imperial Beach then to San Diego, and finally to Akron, Ohio, where he was the Leading Chief of the Navy Flight Test Crew. He retired from the Navy in October 1957 as a Warrant Machinist One.

Kenneth moved back to Wheeling, West Virginia, and worked for Wheeling Dollar Savings and Trust Company and then, The First National Bank and Trust Company of Wheeling as a trust officer and branch manager.

Kenneth married Ellen Hall, of Wheeling, on December 19, 1947, and they had a daughter, Barbara (Penny) in 1949 and a son, Edward in 1951.

After retiring from banking, he married Nancy Jane Thorburn from Martins Ferry, Ohio on November 22, 1975, where they resided in St. Clairsville, Ohio until they moved to Mulberry, Florida in 1979. He was a member of Imperial Lakes Country Club in Mulberry, where he loved to play golf and with his son won the Member/Guest Tournament one year. A few years later he and Nancy moved to Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland.

He was predeceased by his sisters, Virginia Kettler; Elizabeth Serig; Louise Meagle; and Margaret Steer and brothers, Nelson Pennington, and Frank Pennington.

Surviving are his wife, Nancy and his children, Barbara Mazer (Tucson, Arizona) and Ed Pennington (Sedona, Arizona), his grandson Stefan Clifford (Longmont, Colorado) and great-grandchildren Travis and Sedona Clifford (Longmont, CO), and his wife, Nancy.

He was a wonderful family man, had the funniest sense of humor, loved the Navy, his country, golf, Hawaii and playing the organ. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at the Westminster Lakeland Chapel on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 10:30 am.

Burial services will be held at Bushnell National Cemetery, which will be determined by the family at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Oglebay Future Trees, Oglebay Park, Wheeling, West Virginia.