Penny A. Painchaud

Penny was born in Portland, Maine on March 22, 1950, the daughter of Winfield S. Hodgkins II and Jeanne (Berry) Hodgkins. She moved to Concord with her family as a young girl and attended local school, graduating from Concord High School in 1968.

Penny attended the University of New Hampshire for three years before beginning a long career in the finance department of Blue Cross-Blue Shield in Concord, eventually serving as supervisor of payroll. She moved on to help with the establishment of the Brodeur Group in Boscawen where she served as business manager for several years. Penny finished her working career as acting-CFO for Helms & Company in Concord before retiring from a job she truly loved due to failing heath.

Penny was active in many activities and organizations during her life. She helped organize reunions with her CHS classmates, bowled in the Blue Cross league, was active with the Concord Kiwanis Club and the Capital Region Holiday Food Basket Program, battled her mother and siblings during whist games at the family pool, served as a care-giver for her mother-in-law Pearl, argued politics with her father-in-law Dick and stepson Adam, and followed Rusty Wallace on the NASCAR circuit.

Penny was a talented quilter, who admittedly started many more projects than she finished, but was able to surprise several nieces, nephews and other favored kids with high school graduation quilts. A lover of the blue corn chips at Hermanos in Concord, Penny rued the day when her medications finally prevented her from enjoying them with a margarita. She also served as a “second mother” to a generation of players, wives and girl friends from the Budmen and Cimikoski Wood Floors softball teams.

Penny loved to travel and was fortunate to have enjoyed her dream vacation, trekking to Churchill in Canada where she rode in a snow buggy across the tundra for a close encounter with her beloved Polar Bears.

Penny was predeceased by her father, Win, and her father and mother in law Dick and Pearl Painchaud. She is survived by her husband of nearly 27 years, Mike Painchaud, her stepson Adam Painchaud and his wife Christy, her mother Jeanne, her sister Mary (Midge) Leighton and her husband Steve, her brother Scott and his companion Katie Bridgeman, an uncle, an aunt, many nieces, nephews and cousins. Penny is also survived by the many friends she made during her life, drawing them in with here warmth, generosity, indomitable spirit and love of life. She will be missed by many and forgotten by no one whose life she touched.

There will be no calling hours or services, but celebrations of her life will be planned at a later date.

At Penny’s request, donations may be made in her name to Merrimack Valley Day Care Service, 19 North Fruit St., Concord, NH 03301.

The Bennett Funeral Home is in charge of final arrangements.