Penny Ann Howorth

Growing up with collies and other dogs; later raising sheep, cows, chickens, goats, and a llama (to protect the sheep); painting; photography; camping; adventurous traveling; gardening; and belly dancing were some of the loves of Penny Howorth of Newcastle, California. Penelope Ann Joslyn was born in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 1941, second daughter of David and Beverly (Cotton) Joslyn. With her husband Bob next to her, Penny passed away peacefully in her sleep in Auburn, California, on February 2, 2025. She grew up in Carmichael, and after graduating from El Camino High School, she married Richard William Coats in 1959 and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. There they had two daughters and Penny worked several part-time jobs and attended college, earning a BA in art with high honors from California State University, Hayward, in 1975. Penny loved the arts and was extremely talented and creative—painting, making jewelry, and photography. Later, she had a successful career in pharmaceutical sales.

In 1977, Penny and Richard divorced. Two years later she married Bob Howorth, also a pharmaceutical sales person. They moved from the Bay Area up to Placer County, California, where they built a beautiful home on ten acres in Newcastle and made a wonderful life together for over forty-five years, including many exciting vacations abroad. Penny became a creative master gardener and planted beautiful trees and flowers, in addition to feeding, birthing, and sheering her sheep, then sending the wool to be processed and returned to her for coloring, spinning, and knitting.

Penny is survived by her husband Robert Howorth, her daughters Robyn Bier (Michael) of Danville, California, and Cynthia Cross (Jerry) of Mount Diablo, California; her grandson, Michael Bier (Laura) of Pleasanton, California; and her great-granddaughters Haylen and Romie; as well as her sister Priscilla “Joss” Bravo of Penryn, California; her brother, Roger Joslyn (Leslie Corn) of New York City; nieces Shelly Whitehead (John) of Penryn, Heather Laws (Ben Kono) of Nyack, New York, and Lynsey Corbett (Robert Whitehurst) of Carmichael, California; nephew Christopher Joslyn of Beacon, New York, grandnephew Sam Kono of Nyack; grandnieces Katie Joslyn of New Hamburg, New York, and Sylvienne Joslyn of Beacon, New York; stepdaughter, Maya Gray of Grass Valley, California; sister-in-law Susan Barrett of Savage, Minnesota, and family; and nephew-in-law Andrew Howorth of Melbourne, Florida. Penny was predeceased by her younger sister, Heidi Corbett, and nephew David Joslyn.