Michael Wayne Penny

Michael Wayne Penny was born in Houston, Texas, on March 14, 1967, to Fred Allen Penny and Margaret Hull Penny. As a fourth-generation Houstonian, Mike grew up on the north side of the city, where he spent his childhood playing youth and school baseball and football. After graduating from Cypress Creek High School in 1985, Mike attended Texas A&M University, where he studied business. During his first semester, he met the love of his life, Kristin Czarnik, while sharing many of the same classes. Over the next four years, he refined his studies to Business Analysis (BANA), played intramural handball and was a member of Sigma Delta Pi business fraternity.

Always focused on his future career, Mike secured an internship his junior year with Compaq Computer Corporation in their Information Management department. This opportunity led to a full-time offer upon his graduation in May 1989. Shortly after, Mike and Kristin were married on August 5, 1989, and together they began building a life filled with love, partnership and adventure.

Mike spent four more years at Compaq as a systems analyst, before moving on to Global Marine, where he served as an applications manager and as a senior EDP auditor, primarily in the North Sea. During this time, he enrolled in the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program at Houston Baptist University. Balancing full-time work with evening and weekend classes, he found the experience both demanding and invaluable. As part of the program, he spent six weeks in Europe studying the financial, economic and business environments of several large cities.

Soon after earning his EMBA, Mike and Kristin welcomed their son, Taylor, in April 1996, followed by a daughter, Julia, in May 1998. Mike briefly worked at FerrellGas before joining Dynegy, Inc., where he advanced through various director-level positions, ultimately serving as managing director of Midstream and Corporate Systems. In 2005, Mike began what would become a long career at Targa Resources, serving as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO). He held this role until stepping down into an advisory position following his third remission of cancer; working part-time to allow for more quality time with family.

Throughout his career, Mike was deeply respected by colleagues and peers, and received numerous awards and accolades, including mentoring emerging leaders, serving as Chair of the Gas Processors Association, receiving the 1999 Dynegy Chairman’s Award, and earning Computerworld Client/Server Journal’s “Client/Server Excellence” Award. Despite professional demands, Mike always prioritized his family and was a devoted husband and an attentive, loving father.

Mike had a lifelong fondness for the outdoors, shaped by the male role models of his youth. In 1999, Kristin and him purchased property in central Texas near the town of Fayetteville. ‘The Farm,’ as they referred to it, would become a very special place over the years to spend weekends and holidays hunting, fishing, and making cherished memories with friends and family. Their love for these experiences eventually led them to expand their horizons with homes in Rockport, Texas, and Richmond, Virginia.

After his initial blood cancer diagnosis in 2017, Mike, supported by Kristin, made a conscious decision to continue living life and embraced every opportunity that was given to him. Though the pace sometimes felt rushed, he never regretted these moments. A shared love of travel took them around the world over their 40 years together, beginning with a memorable trip to Europe during their junior year at Texas A&M.

In addition to their two children, they were blessed with a daughter-in-law, Amanda, and a son-in-law, Jad. Mike was eagerly anticipating the arrival of his first grandchild, Madeline Grace Penny, due to be born in March. While heartbroken that he would not meet her in this lifetime, he found comfort in knowing that his legacy would live on through his family.

A lifelong Christian, Mike served his community through various leadership roles, including involvement in church and scouting. Though his life was shortened, Mike lived every moment he was given to the fullest. We find comfort in knowing that Mike's legacy endures through the lessons he taught, the love he shared and the memories we will forever cherish. Mike’s final wish was to ask friends and family to donate blood and platelets, or to make monetary donations to a blood bank, offering hope and more time for those battling blood cancers; something he was generously given over the past nine years. This, we believe, would be the greatest tribute to his extraordinary life.

A Celebration of Life will be held in The Centrum at Cypress Creek Christian Community Center, located at 6823 Cypresswood Dr., Spring, TX. The service is scheduled for February 12, 2026, starting at 3:00 pm.