KENNETH RODGER PENTON (KEN)

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KENNETH RODGER PENTON
Born March 29, 1944, Brandon, MB
Died January 31, 2023, Calgary, AB

With family at his side, Ken Penton passed away peacefully January 31, 2023, at Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary. He was 78.
Born in Brandon, MB, near the end of the Second World War, Ken lived an active and productive life, with consideration to others being a hallmark of his 78 years.
After graduating from Vincent Massey High School in Brandon and then Brandon University, where he developed a lifelong love affair with bridge, Ken studied accountancy and became a Chartered Accountant in 1978. His decision to return to school to become a Chartered Accountant was backed strongly by his father-in-law, Harry Zimmel, himself a CA. Harry mentored Ken throughout his studies and the two greatly admired each other. Ken's involvement in the accountancy and tax fields through the years helped him build a large family of clients and friends, many of whom he continued to help with their financial affairs even after his retirement from Deloitte, a firm with which he was a partner for much of his professional career.
Ken married Gayle Zimmel in 1973 and they raised two children, Marc and Lindsey, during their 38-year marriage. The two of them spent countless hours with their beloved grandchildren, enjoyed frequent travels to many parts of the world, played quite a bit of golf together and enjoyed sipping some wine along the way. Gayle was the oldest of seven girls, so Ken suddenly had six little sisters to take care of and the girls say he was an immediate fit to the Zimmel family. Gayle passed away in 2012.
In 2016, Ken met Pat Prociuk and the two of them enjoyed golfing, travels to various places in the world, following the stock market and truly enjoying each other's company.
Ken loved playing bridge, a game at which he excelled, competing nationally and internationally, and compiling an astounding number of life-master points, a measuring stick by which bridge players around the world are ranked. As late as October, 2022, Ken tied for first with players from Hong Kong and Turkey in an online bridge bidding competition that attracted more than 3,000 entries. Ken also played golf his entire life, enjoying the camaraderie and friendship of fellow members at Country Hills Golf Club. He was a solid single-digit handicap golfer for most of his adult life, and was proud of his two holes-in-one and an albatross (a score of two on a par-5).
Ken is survived by son Marc (wife Kerri and son Jakob) and daughter Lindsey (fiancé Marcus), and her children, Kayla, Vanessa, Makenzie (son Xavier), Brayden, Zailauna, Ettore and Piper; his special friend Pat Prociuk; siblings, Eleanor (Tony) Rock of High River, Nancy Allen of Gimli, MB, Bruce (Barb) Penton of Medicine Hat, Bob (Charmaine Reid) Penton of Calgary, Brenda (Steve Vincent) Penton of Vancouver, and Laurie (Janet McMahon) Penton of Winnipeg; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, February 10, at the Eden Brook Funeral Home and Cemetery in Calgary.
In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, a contribution to the Canadian Cancer Society in Ken's memory would be appreciated.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 08, 2023