Jock Penn

Jock Penn, 71, died at home in Shawano on Oct. 2, 2013. Jock graduated from Shawano High School in 1960, went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for one year and then joined the U.S. Army, where he worked in Army intelligence. He later received his bachelor of arts in journalism from San Francisco State University in 1973 and his law degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, Calif., in 1980. Although he was a member of the State Bar of California, he chose not to practice law. He lived in New York City in the late 1960s, then moved to California in 1969, where he worked in the post office. Jock was a union steward for many years, during which he helped numerous fellow workers in difficult, sometimes critical situations. He retired in 2002. Jock moved back to Shawano in late 2006 to care for his aging mother, first at home, then visiting her every day when she was in a nursing home, and bringing her home every Sunday. He was an exceptionally devoted son, a loving brother and a loyal friend. Jock had a great capacity for presence and empathy, sitting and listening intently and responding thoughtfully to anyone who spoke with him, both in person and on the telephone, whether he had known them for 50 years or had just met them. He lived with an unpretentious level of personal integrity, honesty, generosity and grace. With his keen intelligence, endless curiosity and breadth of knowledge, he loved engaging with people about politics, literature, music, film and other subjects, always questioning and going deeper into the heart of things. He had a quick wit and was an eloquent raconteur with a deep sonorous voice and a full appreciative laugh. A man of contradictions, he was a recluse who had many close friends across the U.S. from Connecticut and Massachusetts to Tennessee, Wisconsin, Utah, California and Hawaii. He was unassuming, yet was someone to whom one would immediately be drawn when he entered a room. Jock was warm and charming, yet emotionally restrained and deeply private. In many ways he was easy going and accepting of human foibles, but when he saw an injustice he would act with fierce determination and purity of intention to right it. Jock was prepared for death when it came. He believed that death is a natural and necessary part of the cycle of life, that loss and sorrow are inevitable, and that they are a worthwhile price that we pay for the privilege of loving. He will be missed more than he could ever have imagined. He is survived by his loving sister, Kristin Penn, and her spouse, Michelle Mills; his close and special cousin, Leslee Jepson, who cared for him during his several health crises over the last 1½ years, and her husband, Curt; cousins Leah Jepson, Rachel Wolf and her husband, Pete, and their children Sage and Lupine, Kurt Huebner and his wife, Susan, Fritz Huebner and his son, Jurgen, and William Huebner; and many friends who loved him. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lois Penn; his father, Jack Penn; his aunts and uncles, Leah and Les Brackob, Emil and Lorraine Huebner, Karl and Doris Huebner; and a cousin, Jackie Huebner. Jock did not want a memorial service. There will be an informal farewell gathering on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 1-3 p.m. in the lounge of the First Presbyterian Church in Shawano to share memories and stories. Swedberg Funeral Home in Shawano is assisting with the arrangements. www.swedbergfuneralhome.com