Nancy Lee Penny

Nancy Lee (Dean) Penny of Loveland, CO, quietly crossed into eternity on Friday, May 3, 2024, at the age of 80. After enjoying several phone calls with friends and a good visit that afternoon with one of her neighbors, Nancy sat down at her desk and picked up her sewing project. She wanted to make a quilt for her youngest granddaughter, baby Evelyn. Sometime later, she heard the voice of her Heavenly Father calling her to come Home. She put down her work, laid down her head, and answered the call.

Nancy was born on February 21, 1944, to Richard (Dick) and Jessie Lee Dean of New Brighton, MN. Nancy was the oldest of three children. Early on, she trusted Jesus to be her Lord and Savior, and that decision impacted the direction of her life. After graduating from high school, Nancy continued her schooling at Bethel College in Minnesota. It was here that she met her future husband, Brian Peter Penny.

Nancy and Brian were married on July 16, 1966. Their dream of becoming missionaries in Nigeria was thwarted due to a civil war that had broken out. Instead, Brian became a minister, and they pastored in Rossburn, Manitoba. While here, Nathan and Mark were born. In 1976, the family moved to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and baby Andrew soon arrived to complete the family.

When Brian decided to study to become a chaplain, they lived for a few years in Jamestown, ND. During that time, Nancy worked in a group home with special needs adults. The residents loved her, and she loved them.

Brian and Nancy’s last official work was with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, a ministry to international students at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Nancy and Brian had never lost their passion to share the love of Jesus with the world, so God brought the “world” to them!

Brian passed away in 2007. Even though Nancy loved her community in Edmonton, in 2014 she finally decided to move to Loveland, CO to be closer to family. She quickly found a church home with a wonderful group of friends. She loved their weekly Bible studies that were often followed by lunch at various restaurants. She loved being able to spend time with her grandchildren, especially when it was one-on-one. She loved getting together with her neighbors and the group of ladies from her quilting class.

Nancy loved music and usually had classical music playing in her home. She enjoyed singing and playing the piano. She also loved books and stories, one of her favorites being Anne of Green Gables, a story about a red-headed orphan girl from Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada. Nancy enjoyed many trips to PEI, where she visited lighthouses, walked on the beaches, and toured “Green Gables”. She also loved The Chosen TV series and told everyone about it. When she was in the hospital earlier this year, she encouraged all the staff members to watch it!

One thing Nancy did NOT enjoy was driving on the interstate. She and Miss Bing (her burgundy car) took detours to avoid getting on the highway, which sometimes resulted in the grandkids questioning, “Are we lost, Grandma?” However, when Andy’s family moved to Cheyenne, WY, a one-hour drive on the interstate, Nancy conquered her fear and drove many times to and from Wyoming so she could participate in the grandchildren’s various activities.

Guests to her home always enjoyed special meals around her table. Holiday meals were not complete without Grandma’s homemade buns, Jeff Davis pie, Nanaimo bars, and oatmeal dressing. A few years ago, she discovered a recipe for Soup Pot Bread, which quickly became a favorite! She probably shared hundreds of loaves of freshly-baked cheesy bread with family and friends.

Throughout her life, Nancy looked for ways to encourage and serve others and had many deep, long-lasting friendships. Simply put, people were important to her. She also pursued a deeper relationship with the Lord and continually worked on some of her own struggles and weaknesses. It was inspiring to see her desire to follow Jesus never fade.

Nancy is survived by her brothers, Gordon (Bette) Dean and Brian (JoAnne) Dean; sons, Nathan (Ashley) Penny, Mark (Deborah) Penny, and Andrew (Sarah) Penny; ten grandchildren, Haley, Grace, Trinity, Luke, Logan, Isabel, Brian, Simon, Kaleb, and Evelyn; and loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, and a host of long-time friends.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 1st at LifeSpring Covenant Church, located at 743 S. Dotsero Drive in Loveland, with a luncheon reception to follow. The service will be live-streamed: www.lifespringchurch.org/Nancy (this link will remain active for two weeks after the service).

Memorial gifts can be given to Briercrest College and Seminary by calling 1-888-581-2050.

On her bathroom mirror, Nancy had taped a notecard with the following quote:

“….one day God is going to walk us through the wardrobe into Narnia,

and we will stand there, paralyzed with joy, wonder, astonishment, and relief.”

~ Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

We can only imagine Nancy’s joy, wonder, astonishment, and relief when she realized she was finally Home. Though we grieve our current separation, we know it is only temporary. We thank God for His gift of Nancy to us and for His love which flowed through her words, deeds, and actions. Most of all, we thank God for His gift of Jesus. Without Him, none of this would be possible. To God be the glory!