PENNY J. FARREL

1948 - 2014

Farrel, Penny J. 65, died on Jan. 10, 2014 at her home in Fort Lauderdale, FL, after a long and difficult battle with Parkinson's disease. She was born June 17, 1948 in Philadephia and spent most of her childhood in Ocean City, NJ, and Fort Washington, PA. She was the daughter of JoAnn McMenamin and the late Frank A. "Jim" MacVaugh. She had lived in Fort Lauderdale almost 24 years. Penny was an educator for 35 years—a primary teacher and administrator—at highly regarded private schools including The Foote School in New Haven, CT; Derby Academy in Hingham, MA; and most recently at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She retired from Pine Crest in 2002. As a popular and caring teacher, she found joy in the successes of her students, many of whom returned to visit her with their own children, remembering their school days with "Mrs. Farrel." A dedicated physical fitness buff, she took great pride in being physically active. She loved healthy food of all kinds, workouts in the gym, Pilates, yoga, and long walks and jogs on the beach. She ran her first of five marathons in 1998 at the age of 50 and was proud to have completed two New York Marathons, one which she ran with her two sisters. Penny was a member of Lauderdale Yacht Club of Fort Lauderdale for 23 years and, before moving to Fort Lauderdale in 1990, the Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club of Branford, CT. She loved cruising under sail and power, and she felt privileged to have lived aboard and cruised the Eastern Seaboard from Key West to Maine, and to have spent months cruising in the Bahamas aboard First Light, the Farrels' Grand Alaskan motoryacht. Penny especially enjoyed long walks on isolated beaches, often stopping to pick up a new seashell to add to her growing collection, as well as swimming in the warm, pastel waters of the Bahamas. One of her favorite vacations was a 2012 three-generation family reunion at Treasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. Family was everything to her, and her seven grandchildren brought her great joy. She was active in charitable events in New Haven and Fort Lauderdale. Among her favorites were the Night of Literary Feasts fund raiser for Broward Library Foundation, the former Florida Philharmonic, and the Jim Moran Classic fund raiser for the Youth Automotive Training Center. Penny is survived by her beloved husband of 33 years, Malcolm Farrel, Jr. of Fort Lauderdale; her mother JoAnn McMenamin of Naples, FL; her sisters Patricia MacVaugh of Stillwater, OK; and Ann Hoover of Lititz, PA and her brother David MacVaugh of Charlotte, NC; and by her sons David S. Lovely of Pipersville, PA; Malcolm H. "Court" Farrel of Hong Kong; and Miles F. Farrel of Larchmont, NY; together with seven grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make a donation in her name to Pine Crest School, 1501 NE 62nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334, 954-492-4100, or The Foote School, 50 Loomis Place, New Haven, CT 06511, 203-777-3464.