Penelope "Penny" Perry

Penny was born on October 21, 1942, at Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Marion “Scrub” Perry and Dorothy (McVay) Perry.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and is survived by several Cousins.

Penny graduated from Greenville High school, Class of 1960, graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree, and graduated from Arizona State University with a Master’s Degree in Education.

Penny was a beloved teacher and passionate advocate for children's education. In 1964, started her teaching career at Greenville Junior High School, where she taught until 1969. In 1971, she moved to Franklin Monroe High School where she taught until her retirement from teaching in 1996.

Penny’s passion for teaching extended beyond the classroom. She was always exploring different genres to keep students engaged in learning both in and out of the classroom and expanding her knowledge and to that end she did post graduate work at Miami University, Wright State University and the University of Dayton.

While at Franklin Monroe, she started a quiz team that became an important part of the school activity. She also developed and taught an intervention program for the civics portion of the Ninth Grade Proficiency Test which saw the school’s test scores improve to thirteenth highest in the State.

Penny was also involved in her community. She was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of Edison State Community College, a charter member of the Darke County League of Women Voters, serving 3 years as Treasurer, a member of the Executive and Central Committees of the Darke County Democratic Party and its Treasurer, and was elected to the Greenville City Council where she served a term.

Penny had an interest in Darke County history. She served several years at Garst Museum in the office on weekends and in 2004. was named Executive Director, a position she held for 6 ½ years. During her tenure and with her guidance the museum made great strides with attendance reaching 10,000. Penny and Ann Cox started an educational program for fourth-grade students in Darke County which was approved for use by the County schools in teaching Ohio history and which was provided to the schools at no cost. She also started an adult lecture series that entertained and educated its guests. She also developed a docent program under which volunteer guides were recruited and trained to explain the museum exhibits to students and guests. In recognition of her efforts, in 2011, she was named the first Tourism Citizen of the Year recipient by the Darke County Visitors Bureau.

Services for Penny will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 10:00 am at Zechar Funeral Home, 1499 North Broadway, Greenville, Ohio. Visitation will be from 9:00 am until the time of services. Burial will follow in Greenville Union Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Garst Museum, Brethren Home Retirement Center Resident Aid Fund, or Everheart Hospice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.zecharbailey.com for the Perry family.