GERALD L. PENNINGTON

Born: June 20, 1929

“Citizen of Heaven” — July 3, 2004

There were three loves in Gerry Pennington’s’ life — family, flying and Alaska.

Gerry was a devoted loving husband to Irene for 43 years, the proud father of four children — Carol, Gerry, Laurie and Loretta. He is the proud grandfather to nine grandchildren, Erin, Denim, Justin, Leann, Joshua, Rasik, Farah, Jordan and Leilani. He traveled always to spend time with each of his children and grandchildren. His most recent trip was to see grandson, Justin, graduate from high school in Colorado and to see granddaughter, Leilani, graduate from college in California. Now he’ll be watching over his family from heaven.

Flying was his main passion for more than 50 years, until he got Alaska under his skin. He regretted not listening to the adventures his father told of his experience in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. It wasn’t until 1981 during his trip to Skagway with his brother, Leroy and two sisters, Naomi and Wini, that he left his true calling from Alaska. That led him to begin gathering information for his 1997 book, “KIondike Stampeder Register”. Gerry founded a non-profit organization, Klondike Stampeders Relative Association to bring together relatives of the 1898-99 Gold Rush. Annually he made the trek, by motor home, from Las Vegas to Skagway to spend the summers in a town he truly loved. September 2004 he was to take his place as the elected President of the International Sourdough Reunion, an organization he was proud to be a part of.

No one was a stranger long once they crossed paths with Gerry. He managed to make friends wherever he went. He loved flying, and anything to do with airplanes, browsing bookstores looking for old books on Alaska , surfing the web, watching old Westerns, M*A*S*H and English comedies.

One of the last things he mentioned to us all was that he was reflecting on his life and that he had a “good life” and that he wanted to “go home to heaven”.