Richard was born on July 16, 1943 in Worcester, MA to Robert and Shirley Penny. After
graduating from North High School in Worcester, he worked first as a carpenter and then a gas
station attendant before he and his wife, Donna Penny, purchased two service stations, Tatnuck
Square Texaco in Worcester and Village Repair in Holden. Richard worked as an auto mechanic
and ran a busy towing business while Donna kept the books, answered the phones, and also
pumped gas. The two of them were a great team and their loving partnership got them through
life’s challenges.
In 1994, they fulfilled their dream of moving to Cape Cod to begin their retirement, but always
the businessman, Richard purchased a gift shop in Centerville, MA called the Cardfather. He
and his wife enjoyed getting to know their customers and many became friends. Together they
were also involved in their church, First Lutheran in West Barnstable. After Donna became ill,
Richard worked as a handyman for a women’s shelter. He put his heart into his work and after
making repairs often found himself sitting on the floor playing with the children. After his wife
passed away, Richard volunteered at The Baby Center in Hyannis, MA doing everything from
sorting clothes to helping with the annual holiday party.
Richard loved his wife first and formost. During her three month hospitalization in Boston, he
stayed by her side night and day. He also loved his daughters and especially loved being a
“Grampy" to his six grandchildren. His greatest joy was taking all the grandkids to the beach for
a day of playing in the ocean and building sand castles. He enjoyed working on his house,
getting his hands dirty in his flower garden, and keeping track of the birds as they moved into
his bird houses. If something was broken, he could always figure out how to fix it, much to the
delight of his grandchildren.
In December 2016, Richard moved to Arizona to be near his oldest daughter. Although he only
lived in Arizona a short time, he enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine and spending time
with his family.
Richard leaves behind two daughters, Kristen Penny and Robin Dow, and six grandchildren:
Ian, Lucas, Nathan, Brady, Christopher and Avery. They will always remember the laughter and
love their Grampy brought to their lives and his tireless example of hard work.
A memorial service will be held in July at First Lutheran Church in West Barnstable, MA. In lieu
of flowers, donations may be made to First Luther Church or The Baby Center.
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