Brian Penick

Brian Spencer Penick, 60 of Coconut Creek, FL passed away unexpectedly on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022. Brian was born in North Miami, FL on October 10th, 1961, to Marcia and James Penick. He spent his childhood and his teenage years in Bangor, Maine, graduating from Bangor High School in 1979.

After moving to South Florida in the early 1980s, he pursued an education in Audio Engineering and was successful in the audio-visual production field doing conventions and trade shows nationally and locally.

Brian had a passion for motocross and music at a very young age. He had a deep love of classic rock music and was knowledgeable about not only the band members, but the production behind the albums, Brian always found himself in music, some of his favorites included Kansas, Eagles, Santana, Steely Dan, Zeppelin, Zappa, Todd Rundgren, and countless others… He not only found love in music, but was a strong advocate for the arts, movies, film, theater, and being free to live life positively as one sees fit. His family and friends will miss his sense of humor, and love of comedies. Brian loved animals; he had a special place in his heart for dogs and was known to rescue animals from squirrels to saving a huge lizard stuck in a fence or stopping traffic with his van to save a large snapping turtle crossing the street. In his free time, he volunteered at various animal rescues. 

Brian was a dreamer who had a vision of creating a motocross sports park for the public with an emphasis on families and elevating at-risk children. After decades in the making, Brian designed, produced, and officially opened in 1994, the popular and successful Pepsi Air Dania Motocross Park. With his extensive knowledge of land development - he had transformed and remediated the land from a tire dump into a motocross park; he became one of the first Brownfield Specialists in South Florida. After 11 years, in 2005 Brian was forced to close Air Dania to convert the last remaining land by the airport into warehouses; however, Brian continued his life-long passion to provide a venue for MX riders, families, and spectators. 

While he worked to develop a new track, he assisted in his wife’s business, did audio "gigs", and was a consultant on many land and MX projects. He was also a man of many talents and with a lot of "irons in the fire"; he created, produced, and distributed a cure for sunspots called Blemaquit. In his free time, Brian enjoyed hare scrambles, mountain biking, going to concerts, enjoying movies, and storytelling, spending time with his family, helping his mother, and being with his beloved granddaughter, River, and his “cupcake", daughter Tara.

Brian’s love of life and love of others will be sorely missed by his wife of 34 years, Ana, his daughter Tara Penick-Vose and husband Dylan of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, mother Marcia Baker of Fort Pierce, FL, brother Kevin Baker and wife Barbara of Glenburn, Maine, brother Steve Lionel and wife Leslie of Nashua, NH, nephew Thomas Lionel of Stuart, FL, cousin Alan Cohn and wife Lauren of Plantation, FL, cousin Debbi Steinkohl of Weston, FL, and a large loving extended family, friends and the South Florida MX community. Brian was predeceased by his brother Craig Lionel, natural father James Penick, and adopted father James Baker.

Brian’s soul and spirit will forever live within all that he loved. A celebration of Brian’s life will be held on Saturday, May 21st at 2:00 PM at Fred Hunter's Funeral Home, 718 S. Federal Highway, Ft. Lauderdale 33316. 

There will also be a celebration of life in July 2022 in Bangor, Maine (Date/Location TBD)

Memorial donations may be made to the family’s fund: https://everloved.com/life-of/brian-penick/donate/

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital in Brian’s name be made instead.