Ruth Lynn Fessler Pena

Ruth Lynn Fessler Peña, 79, of Allen, Texas, passed away on Thursday, March 16, 2023. She was born on June 4, 1943, in Dallas, Texas, to the late Bill & Nina (St. John) Fessler. Lynn lived in Missouri and the Dallas area as a child. She was a 1960 graduate of Plano High School and was Valedictorian for her class. From a young age, Lynn had a passion for writing and went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri, and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Sorority there. Following graduation, Lynn began working for the brand-new Plano Star Courier as an editor. After gaining experience there, she was hired by Betty Crocker as a cookbook editor. Lynn’s love for writing never ceased, as she went on to write countless novels and did a vast amount of administrative and secretarial work for various companies.

Lynn had two loves in her life: her husband, Manny, and baseball – and not necessarily in that order. Lynn was a baseball fanatic. She had a wealth of knowledge on various teams, players and their statistics. Lynn was a devoted fan of the Texas Rangers and enjoyed being a season ticket holder with Manny.

Lynn was fortunate enough to have found her soulmate, Manuel Peña, when she met him in 1974. They quickly became inseparable and knew they wanted to spend forever together. They married in 1976, and supported each other always – through the good times and the bad times and truly appreciated each other. Manny admired Lynn’s intelligence and her love for writing, while Lynn admired Manny’s love for art and his sculpting. They enjoyed all life had to offer by traveling around the world together and going on spontaneous trips together but, most importantly, enjoyed the simplicity of time spent together and the conversations they had. Lynn was a caring, selfless person who will be greatly missed by all who loved and knew her.

In addition to her parents, Lynn was preceded in death by her brother, Larry Fessler; and grandson, Mathias Peña. She is survived by her husband, Manny Peña; daughter, Beverly and her two children; stepchildren, Paul (Julie) Peña, Anthony (Claire) Peña, and Kimi Lendowski; grandchildren, Jane, Laura, Anthony Aaron II, Michael, Nickolas, and Christine.

Memorial donations may be made to SPCA of Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, TX 75212.