William E. (Bill) Penney, Jr., was born in Huntsville, Alabama on April 15, 1947 to Geraldine Bennett Penney and William Penney, Sr. He was the oldest of three children.
Bill left this earth for his heavenly home on November 4, 2020, following a lengthy illness.
Bill graduated in 1965 from S.R. Butler High School, then attended Samford University majoring in Business and received his BS degree in 1969. While there, he was inducted into Alpha Kappa Psi honor fraternity.
He then joined his father, William Penney, Sr., at Bill Penney Motors Oldsmobile-Toyota. Bill served in the National Guard Army Chaplain Corp. for two years.
In 1975, he became the dealer/owner of Eager Beaver Toyota-Pontiac-Buick-GMC for over 15 years in Scottsboro, Alabama where he was active in Jaycees as president, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, serving as Deacon.
His residence was at Bill Penney Ranch on Moores Mill Road in Huntsville, Alabama for the past 30 years.
Bill’s hobbies included flying as an IFR rated pilot, scuba diving, and sky diving, but most importantly, his Christian activities as a 10 year leader for North Alabama March for Jesus and as a volunteer with the Edwin L. Hodges Worldwide Ministry of Decatur, as well as a volunteer Alabama Prison Evangelist.
Bill is survived by his brother Jerre F. Penney (Jean) and his three sons by marriage to Anne Johnson Penney: Jon Barrett Penney (Kelin) of Montgomery, William J. Penney (Tiana) of Scottsboro, and Jordan Bennett Penney (Ashley Nicole) of Atlanta, GA. Also, grandsons, Taylor Barrett Penney, Owen Thomas Penney, and Jon Paxton Penney and granddaughter Isabella Grace Penney, and a host of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, William E. Penney, Sr, his mother Geraldine Bennett Penney, and his sister, Judith Annette Penney.
A private Memorial Service for family will be held with burial at Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial donations be made to the Edwin L. Hodges Ministry of Decatur for purchase of Bibles for Worldwide Christian Ministry.
