Llew Penner

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LLEWELLYN RAY PENNER

Peacefully, while sleeping on his couch, Llewellyn Ray Penner "Llew" passed to his eternal home December 27, 2015.

Llew will be forever remembered and missed by his daughters Marsha Rae (Brian Hawkins) of Durham, North Carolina, Julie Anne (Barry Mungall) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, sister Gwen (Garry) Blatz of Steinbach and granddaughter Islay Kathryn Mungall. He was predeceased by his parents Claude W. Penner and Kathryn Penner.

Llew was born January 25, 1955 in Steinbach, Manitoba. Llew spent his formulative years in Greenland, Manitoba, attending school at Shakespeare and then Landmark. When Llew was 9 years old, his father was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. When Llew was 12, and his father was 41, Llew's father was placed into 'an old folk's home' - today referred to as a long term care facility - due to our mother's inability to care for him at home. This departure left a wound in Llew's heart that he spent a lifetime running from, or managing in ways that only amplified the destruction.

When Llew was 16, he purchased his first car, sharing the ownership with his mother. He quit attending high school and began to work at KK Penner & Son in Blumenort where his uncle Elmer Penner was also employed. This led to a life long career of being involved in the vehicle industry, learning the trade of mechanics - working at Brookdale Pontiac, then Penner Chev - holding positions from mechanic, car sales and Service Manager, and eventually starting and owning his own shop; Llew Penner Auto. After selling his shop due to ill health, he was employed for a time at Ledingham GM. By his own admission, Llew wasn't the fastest or most efficient mechanic, but his handiwork was trustworthy. Many came to rely on his expertise.

Llew had an affinity for dogs, and a dog, or dogs were always an integral part of his life. This became even more amplified in the last years when his loyal dogs - Betsy and Zuess - bouyed his spirits and gave him a reason to go on when multiple health challenges brought changes to his life. Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, diverticulosis, then a valve transplant with the ultimate realization that his cardiac challenges would be difficult to manage due to long standing damage from a faulty heart valve, brought to a close his ability to be a productive member of society, as he saw it. A value he cherished of being a human able to provide for himself through work, had to be relinquished. All of this amplified Llew's spiral into his self destructive life style.

These last years of Llew's life became a testament to the powerful changes possible even when it defied all odds. In February of this year, Llew would have been sober 4 years. Llew's journey from addiction to soberness - the AA group that as he put in one of his emails, 'cared more for me than I did for myself' - his faith journey - became evident as he began to demonstrate the person he was underneath all along. Peace replaced fear , tenderness replaced anger, gentleness replaced harshness , compassion replaced judgement. He wrote, "I truly believe that some of us have gone through 'hell on earth' to prepare us to minister to 'those who still suffer.'"

Llew would want to sign off the way he signed off some of his emails to family members: 'Give the people you care about a hug-tell them you love them-and treat them kindly' or he'd sign off with 'love to all!'

The funeral service for Llew Penner will be held Monday, January 4th, 2016, 2:00 pm. Interment at Heritage Cemetery, Steinbach. If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice.

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

Arrangements by Birchwood Funeral Chapel
1-204-346-1030 or 1-888-454-1030

As published in The Carillon on Dec 29, 2015