WINCHESTER, Va. — Penelope Anne Hawthorne Byler (Penny), age 74, passed on Thursday, Sept. 11, after a decline due to dementia.
Penny was born on December 14, 1950, in Greenville, to Frances and Tom Hawthorne, both deceased.
Visitation will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, with a celebration of her life following at 2 p.m. at Orchard Ridge Chapel in Winchester.
A funeral visitation will be held at 1 p.m. with service following at 2 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church in Greenville.
She is survived by Rick, her husband of 31 years; her son John, currently living in Tupelo; her stepchildren James, Tim, Chris, and Andrea, all of Virginia; and her two sisters, Jackie Cariker of Dundee and Jan Hawthorne of Jackson. She loved being "Crazy Aunt Penny" to Jackie's children, Meagan and Heath, and eventually to their spouses and children.
Throughout her life Penny was an avid supporter and lover of the arts. While in high school in Charleston, Mississippi, she was a valuable member of the choir and band and served as drum major her senior year. Her passion for music continued as she became a dedicated band parent during her son John's participation in both the junior high and high school bands at Washington School in Greenville.
In addition to her love of music, Penny also loved participating in community theatre as an actress, director, stage manager, and hair and makeup artist. From Delta Center Stage's first season (1979 - 1980) Penny participated both on or off stage. Some of her most memorable moments included "wrangling" the king's children backstage during a production of The King and I; bracing herself on an electric wheelchair, driven by someone underneath her voluminous costume, as she sang and swooped around the stage during Tevye's "nightmare" in Fiddler on the Roof; and exchanging lines with long-time friend Sonya Bixler as they portrayed the sweet, aging, and murderous sisters in Arsenic and Old Lace.
Penny received numerous awards for her roles in festival plays presented by Delta Center Stage at the Mississippi Theatre Festival, the Southeastern Theatre Festival, ACTFest, and the International Amateur Theatre Festival in Dundalk, Ireland. Penny was also a regular cast member of the Red Cross Chorus and the Community Harmony Chorus as well as a cast member of many of Delta Center Stage's musicals.
Penny also loved and was loved by the members of St. James Episcopal Church where she served as a member of the Vestry, a valuable member of the choir, and a member of the Altar Guild (one of the few Altar Guild members who could unlock the safe). She always contributed to the Fall Bazaar and loved chatting with and supporting church members.
She possessed a sparkling personality and made young and old feel at ease and valued with her smile and warm 'interest in them. She will be sorely missed and always remembered by those who knew and loved her.
"Love you more!"
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Red Cross, Hospice, or other of your choice.
Please visit obituaries and tribute wall at ompsfunerlhome.com
