Obituary of Glen Howard Penner

To watch the recording of the service, click this link:

https://video.ibm.com/embed/recorded/132873490

PENNER,

Glen H.

(1940-2023)

Glen lived most of his life in Saskatoon, he was proud of his prairie home and dedicated much of his life to serving the people of Saskatoon. Glen died peacefully on June 5, 2023, in the presence of his loving wife, Wilma, and his son, Brent.

He was born in Dodsland, SK in 1940 to Agnes and Gil Penner, and moved with his family to Saskatoon in 1948 where he attended Wilson Elementary School and then City Park Collegiate. At City Park his interest and joy in debate was sparked through his participation in debate club. During his childhood, he also developed a lifelong love of hockey and baseball.

After high school, he attended the University of Saskatchewan, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. He put all that education to good use and went on to a nearly four-decade career as a teacher, vice principal, and principal with the Saskatoon Public School Division, director of education for the Saskatoon East School Division, and as an assistant deputy minister of education, and regional director of education with the Ministry of Education.

Glen met Wilma in 1960 and they were married in Wynyard, in August 1962. Glen was a proud parent to Jan and Brent. The family enjoyed many camping trips together and Radium Hot Springs was a favourite place.

Glen caught the political bug in his early 30’s and was first elected to City Council in 1972. In 1975, while still serving as a City Councillor, he ran for the Legislature in Saskatoon Eastview, and served as both a Councillor and MLA until his initial council term ran out in 1976. Glen soon realized he enjoyed local politics more than provincial, and was re-elected to city council in 1979, in 1988, and then in 2000, serving until 2012. When he finally decided not to run again at age 72 after more than 25 years on council, he was less than 50 days shy of the record of most days served on Saskatoon City Council.

After retiring from his education career, Glen and Wilma spent time in Palm Springs enjoying the warmer weather, golfing, and connecting with friends. But they would only go for a month to minimize missing grandsons’ hockey games, and city council meetings!

Dad was a lifelong fan of the Maple Leafs, Riders, and Blue Jays. In his later years, he also enjoyed watching curling, tennis, and golf while also playing golf with his friends. He was active in the lives of his grandchildren, always interested in knowing what they were up to, and was usually spotted in the crowd at local arenas or fields when the kids were playing. He was immensely proud of his family and especially his grandchildren.

Glen is survived by his loving wife, Wilma, daughter Jan (Barry), son Brent (Marilyn), and grandchildren Braden (Dayna), Allison, Aidan, and Jarrett, and great- granddaughter Tenley. He was predeceased by his sister Jean Ellen Anderson, who passed away in March 2023.

Glen was incredibly proud of Saskatoon, and often said there was no better place to live. If you wish to make a memorial donation in Glen’s name, please consider what he believed to be one of Saskatoon’s shining jewels, the Meewasin Valley. Donations to the Meewasin Valley Authority may be made at https://meewasin.com/donate/.

Dad’s illness was brief, yet in the short time he was at RUH, he was cared for by many wonderful people. Your care and compassion meant so much.

A Memorial Service will take place on Tuesday, June 27, 1:00 p.m. at the Saskatoon Funeral Home, 338 4^th Avenue North. Condolences may be shared and left for the family at www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com