Robert Nils ("Bob") Penney

Robert (Bob) N Penney, 86, passed away March 28th, 2019. Bob was born in Worchester, MA to the late Lawrence & Ethel (Peterson) Penney. After high school, he joined the army and served as a combat medic in Korea. When he returned home, he met the love of his life, Audrey MacAdams. They married in 1956. 

Bob received a Bachelors in Engineering, which brought him to Delaware, working at ILC Dover in Frederica designing space suits and air bags for NASA. He worked there several years until late 1960s. Exploring his entrepreneurial spirit, Bob took a chance and bought Capital Glass in Dover. In those first years, he was learning as he went. He decided to go back to college, received his Masters in Business and eventually built a successful business. In the mid 80's he changed the company's name to Bob's Glass and Mirror and soon acquired Milford Glass & Mirror. He worked in the glass industry for almost 50 years. 

Bob always had a passion to help in the community. He volunteered for the Choices Program where he would meet with junior high students and teach them about their "choices" in life. He was an active member in the Camden Wyoming Rotary Club holding several positions including president. When hurricane Katrina hit, Bob gathered needed supplies including blankets & laundry detergent for the victims in Mississippi. He borrowed a horse trailer, loaded it up and drove it himself to MS to hand out those supplies. When his granddaughters started school, "Poppy" started reading to their class, and then to the other classes long after his granddaughters were out of elementary school. 

Bob had a passion for antique cars and was a charter member of the Historical Vintage Car Club of Delaware. He restored his 28 Chevy and loved to drive it in parades, winning several awards. 

Bob was a long time member of the Dover Seventh Day Adventist Church and was very active with building projects within the church and even went on mission trips to help build churches in St Lucia. 

He was a loving husband & father. Poppy was loved dearly by his granddaughters and all the young people he met. He was a very loyal friend & mentor. We will certainly miss his stories and all those "dad" jokes.

Bob is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Audrey Penney, sister Shirley Faye in Worchester MA, son Jonathan and wife Leslie of Leavenworth KS, son Jeffrey of Greensboro MD, granddaughters Callie Lawson and husband Travis of Harrington, and Shiloh Penney of Milford, a special daughter Karen Twiford and husband Howard of Milford and several nieces and nephews. 

Memorial Service Monday, April 15, 2019 at 11 am at the Dover Seventh Day Adventist Church, 647 Wyoming Ave., Dover, DE where friends may gather beginning at 9am.  Committal with military honors Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 1 pm at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Millsboro, DE.

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