Penelope Joan Haggard

1948 - 2024

Penelope Joan Haggard

July 20, 1948 - June 20, 2024

Vancouver, Washington - Penelope Joan (Everling) Haggard, 75, passed away peacefully in Vancouver, WA after battling leukemia. Penny was born in Des Moines, IA, to Kenneth Lloyd Everling and Jeanne Carolyn (Hollingshead) Everling, along with her younger (by a few minutes) twin brother, Kenneth (Kenny) Lloyd Everling II. Growing up, the twins were both good-natured competitors and mischievous co-conspirators; they remained close throughout their lives. In the mid-1950s, the Everling Family moved to a farm outside Princeton, MO, and experienced the joys, challenges, and hardships of working the land and taking care of livestock and poultry. Penny went to Princeton H.S., where she excelled academically and played on the Tigers basketball and volleyball teams, graduating with honors in 1966.

Penny attended Drury College in Springfield, MO, and earned a B.A. in education with teaching certifications in Spanish and mathematics. She moved to Kansas City, MO and taught high school math; during this time, she met history teacher Gary Lee McMillan (b. Dec. 12, 1937), and they were married May 17, 1970. Tragically, Gary was killed in a car accident (d. Dec. 18, 1971) before the birth of their son, James Matthew McMillan (b. July 2, 1972).

Back when Penny went to Princeton H.S., she had dated Freddie (Fred) Dee Haggard (b. Sep. 20, 1946) from neighboring Mercer, MO. Fred joined the US Army (Infantry) and served in Vietnam; Penny wrote him often while he was overseas. Fred returned to Missouri after the war ended, and the Army moved them to Killeen, TX, where they were married (July 6, 1977). Fred served as a Sgt. and mechanic at Fort Hood in the motor pool; Penny taught at Killeen H.S. Daughter, Jennifer (Jen) Kathleen Haggard, was born to Penny and Fred on July 15, 1980.

After Fred left the Army, the family moved back to Missouri, finally settling in Kansas City. Penny earned her M.Ed. from Lesley College while teaching math in the N. Kansas City School Dist. (Eastgate M.S., NKC H.S., and Winnetonka H.S.); she retired in 2001. Tragedy struck that same year, when Fred was diagnosed with colon cancer, passing on Oct. 9, 2001. Fred was the love of Penny's life, and she never re-married. Penny taught math at Maple Woods Community College for another 11 years, retiring for good in 2013. During her 40+ year career, she taught algebra, geometry, and applied mathematics to thousands of students.

In 2016 she moved to Vancouver, WA to be closer to her grandchildren. Penny spent the last 8 years of her life watching them grow and flourish, and she regularly volunteered at Beaumont M.S. (Portland, OR) where both kids attended. She was also an active member of the Mill Plain United Methodist Church in Vancouver, WA, and an avid Chiefs fan.

Penny led a full life marked by her warmth, generosity, and passion for teaching. She dedicated her time and resources to family and friends, putting others' needs before her own and delighting in their successes. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Haggard; son James McMillan, daughter-in-law Julie (Sutherland) McMillan, and grandchildren Seamus and Ellie McMillan; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Billy and Francia (Haggard) Fisher; niece Wendy (Fisher) Johnson (husband Justin, children Quinton and Cooper); nephew Ben Fisher (wife Joanne, children Maddi, Zoe, and Charlotte); niece Marcia (Everling) Kothe (husband Paul, children Ragan, Trey, Kendall, Matthew, and Johnathan); and cat Angela. She is preceded in death by her parents (Kenneth and Jeanne), husbands Fred and Gary, and brother Kenny. A celebration of life will be held in Missouri this summer (2024), date and location TBD. For details, contact James McMillan (Portland, OR) on Facebook.