Miriam Marilyn Penn

Miriam Marilyn Gordon Penn of Beverly Hills, California, passed away Monday, March 31, 2014, at home with her family at her side, following a lifetime of service to others, ending only when a courageous, stubbornly-fought, four-year battle with lung cancer took its final toll.

Indeed, about a precious few could one aptly apply the thoughts of William Penn, “I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.” These famous words are completely apropos for Miriam.

She was born August 21, 1929, to wonderful parents Max and Myrtle Gordon in Chicago, Illinois, where she attended Haugen Elementary School, and later Roosevelt High School, graduating in 1946. After that, she spent the summer as a lifeguard on Lake Michigan. Miriam then moved to Los Angeles with her family and attended Los Angeles City College where she was a member of the college archery team.

Miriam married Haskell Penn in 1955 at her parents’ home in Beverly Hills, California. The couple resided in Los Angeles, where they raised their two children, Gina and Steven. Haskell passed away in 1978, and as the mom of two active children, Miriam seized opportunities to participate in her children’s schooling and extracurricular activities. She served as a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) room mother and board officer; a leader for Brownies, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts; and even as a scorekeeper for baseball.

As an adult, she celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanuel and subsequently donated countless hours as a volunteer for the National Asthma Center/National Jewish Medical & Research Center, Temple Emanuel, Midway Hospital, the Wellness Community, and the Maple Center. In 2011, the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research honored her a decade of service, acknowledging “her courage and unyielding commitment to not let her cancer stand in the way of helping and doing for others.” In fact, the Concern organization noted that Miriam enlisted and led her “Mahjong ladies” to also volunteer for the Foundation during mailings and event preparations for its annual fundraiser.

Miriam never missed an episode of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and her children and grandchildren well remember the countless hours of board games (Monopoly, Yahtzee, Scrabble) and card games (Solitaire, Gin Rummy, War) they played with Miriam. She was also an avid reader, and when her eyesight began to fade, her children acquired for her one of the very first Kindles with large print to make her browsing trouble-free.

Miriam traveled extensively, landing on all the continents—except Australia—at least once. She loved people and like nothing better than to meet friends for lunch or dinner, or playing Mahjong, Bingo, and Pan. She will be missed by an untold number of family, friends, and neighbors.

Miriam is survived by her daughter, Gina Penn Schneider of Cody, Wyoming; son, Steven Penn and his fiancée, Oana Mihailescu of Los Angeles; brother Jerry Gordon and his wife, Ruth, of Chicago; grandsons Hunter and Peter Schneider of Cody, and Knight Penn Lombardo of Los Angeles; nieces and nephews Jeff and Barbara Gordon, Marty and Jan Sobelman, and Dean and Diane Shaw, all of the Chicago area.

In addition, her extended family included many close cousins: Joe and Judy Mittelman, Jay Kanter, Ted Strauss and Sue Wayne Strauss, Tom Bernard, Amy Kanter and Bob Thiele, Victoria Kanter Colombetti, Adam and Brooke Kanter, Michael and Erica Kanter, Jason Colombetti, Matthew Colombetti, and Owen Thiele—plus an endless list of friends—too numerous to name. The family is especially grateful for the care Miriam received from Dr. Irwin Miller, Dr. Philomena McAndrew, Vadim Borchenko, and Miriam’s home-health caregivers.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents, husband, and son-in-law, Michael Schneider.

Services are Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. at Hillside Memorial Park Chapel, 6001 W. Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles, with gravesite rites immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, Miriam had requested that memorial donations in her name be sent to Concern Foundation, 1026 S. Robertson Blvd, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90035, or the Cedars-Sinai Medical Group, Tower Hematology/Oncology, 9090 Wilshire Blvd, Second Floor, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Groman Eden Mortuary, Mission Hills, California.