Mary Anne Phelan Penner's Obituary
Mary Anne Phelan Penner passed away unexpectedly on February 17, 2024 at her home.
Mary Anne was born in Belmar, New Jersey on September 20, 1946, and lived in upstate New York for most of her life. She came to Tallahassee in 1991 to enter FSU's graduate program in Adult Education. After graduation, she continued to live and work here. She was a life-long learner and educator.
After earning a B.S. in Education at the College of St Rose in Albany, NY, Mary Anne taught science in an elementary school in Montgomery County, NY. She earned a Master's degree in Public Administration at SUNY, Albany. She then worked for the New York State Office of Mental Health as the Statewide Coordinator of Automated Systems Training. She later worked as Mental Health Administrator and Adjunct Instructor in Middletown, NY.
As the first person in her family to earn a doctoral degree, Mary Anne attained a PhD in Adult and Continuing Education at Florida State University. She was an Instructor of Educational Foundations at FSU, where she won awards in teaching. She later worked as Adjunct Instructor and Computer Lab Manager at Tallahassee Community College.
Mary Anne enjoyed teaching at all grade levels, and she particularly enjoyed teaching critical thinking to young adults. She was well-liked by her students and by almost everyone she met. I frequently heard “she was such a sweet lady” from the professionals and service workers who knew her. An avid reader and researcher, with an acute sense of fairness, she wrote well-researched letters of complaint and conviction.
Mary Anne was preceded in death by two brothers, John R. and David M. Phelan. She is survived by three brothers, William J., Richard H., and Daniel J. Phelan as well as six nieces and nephews.
A celebration of her life will be held at United Church in Tallahassee, 1834 Mahan Drive, on April 6th at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to your local Friends of the Public Library.
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