Penelope (Chapman) Turner

Penelope Ann Chapman Turner (“Penny,” “Mom,” “Nana,” “G-Nana”) passed away on May 23, 2023 after fighting cancer for a number of years. She planned on being a miracle, and that she was. Penny peacefully passed as her family sat by her side caroling, playing her favorite games, “taking” her on one last beach trip, and celebrating the beautiful world that she so gracefully shaped for us. Penny is survived by her adoring siblings, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Penny’s surviving siblings are Deborah and Fred Sprague, Linda and Phil Libby, and C. Drummond and Ellen Chapman. Her children include Sherry and Rob Warren, Kim and Chris Kolesar, and Kathy and Phi Vu; Penny’s many grandchildren are Krystal and Johnny Hartwell, Justin Warren and Shailyn Wilder, Taylor and Colin Hausman, Kayla Kolesar, Jessie Kolesar, Jo Shirley and Chace Howard, and Amber Shirley and Chase Geheb along with her joyous great-grandchildren Mikey Hartwell, Cooper Hausman, Grace Hartwell, and Vincent Hartwell. Penny was preceded in death by her parents Clark Drummond Chapman Jr. and Janet Kennedy Chapman. Penny was born on March 21, 1939, in Portland, Maine. She lived her life with an intrepid spirit while living in a multitude of places from childhood to adulthood; these locations include Maine, New York, California, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire before settling in Pennsylvania. Penny lived her life by doing what made her happy in that very moment. She proudly shattered career stereotypes and set an illustrious model for her family by involving herself in a variety of different fields she was interested in: Junior Executive Trainer at Grover Cronin Dept. Store, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Nursing at the New England Deaconess Hospital, Claims Examiner for Union Mutual Insurance Co., Tax Preparation for a law company, Legal Secretary for Sherril Gould, Activities Director for Norwell, Full-Time Student, Counselor, Educational Youth Development Educator at UNH Cooperative Extension, and Director of the JAYS After School Program for Jeannette Middle School. After retiring three different times, in three different disciplines, Penny sought the devotion of all her energy and time into the parts of her world she cared most about, her family. Penny was a woman of numerous hobbies for the entirety of her life. She devoted much time to her genealogical project, book club, bridge club, and many activities within her church such as: informal bible study, Fellowship Committee, History Committee, and knitting group. The most important aspect of this life for her was her vast family. Penny taught us about every life skill we could possibly need like cooking, sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, crafting, canning/pickling food, gardening, and above all, loving unconditionally. She made it her mission to seek every beach she could possibly reach, just so she could stick her toes in the sand, collect ALL of the shells she could find no matter how broken or seemingly unwanted, and take just a little bit of her sea treasures back home with her; some for herself and some to share with friends and family. Penny’s physical presence in this world will be terribly missed, but we know that she has never and will never leave us. As we strive to move forward we know that she will live on through each and every person whose life she touched. It would be an impossible feat to ever forget her laughter, adventures, or impact in her community, friends, and family. We ask friends and family to join us in a Celebration of Life at First Presbyterian Church at 617 Main St, Irwin, PA 15642, at 11:00 AM on Tuesday May 30, 2023. Per Penny’s request, please wear colorful/happy clothes on that day, wherever you may be, to celebrate her love and life.

Penelope (Chapman) Turner

March 21, 1939 - May 23, 2023