Penelope Marjorie Windust

1945 - 2022

July 13, 1945 - February 2, 2022 Penelope Marjorie Windust was born on July 13, 1945, in New York City and passed away peacefully after a long illness at home in Guilford, Connecticut, on February 2, 2022.

She was the daughter of stage and film director Bretaigne Windust and actress Irene Windust. Penelope, known by many as Penny, attended Beverly Hills High School and The Brearley School, and graduated from Carnegie Tech, later known as Carnegie Mellon University in 1967 with a BFA in Acting.

Penny will be remembered for her distinctive, infectious laugh and for the gracious and professional way she touched the lives of those she worked with as an actress. Even those with whom she shared one day on a set remember her warmth, humor, and giving nature. She always said that when moving to a new place, a library should be one of your first stops. She imparted her love of literature and the arts into her children and grandchildren through play - reading, storytelling, music, and crafts. She was an animal lover, an avid horsewoman, a writer, and an educator, working with people with intellectual and learning differences. She was passionate about the history of film and enjoyed many hours of robust dialogue about her favorite motion pictures. She was certified in flower arrangement, loved gardening, and was an accomplished cook and wonderful hostess who loved preparing and eating great food. She loved the beach and all things ocean, crochet and crafts, giving gifts, and spending time with her family. She followed the teachings of Science of Mind and maintained a rich spiritual practice.

Penny had a long career as a working actress. She began her career as a teenager in summer stock, appearing in Irene, Under the Yum Yum Tree, and The Enchanted. She toured as Marilyn in Silverplate, appeared in the national tour of America Hurrah, and as Christine Marlowe in Room Service with the Loretto-Hilton Repertory Company in St. Louis and Charlotte in Horatio at the Arena Stage, Washington DC. She was a silent partner on the production team of the original Godspell, which opened off-Broadway in 1971.

She made her Broadway debut in Spofford, fresh out of college, and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1972 for the title role in Elizabeth I. More theatrical roles included work with the 1973 San Diego Shakespeare Festival, playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Cordelia in King Lear. Other stage credits include Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Denver Center Rep, Closely Related, The Elephant Man and You Can't Take It With You at South Coast Rep and A Perfect Ganesh at the Arizona Theatre Company. She also appeared in projects at Los Angeles's well-known small theatres, Theatre Forty and Theatre West, as well as East Hampton's Hamptons Shakespeare Festival.

Penny's many guest appearances on television included Guiding Light, Wonder Woman, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million Dollar Man, Falcon Crest, Dallas, Mannix, Matlock, Murder She Wrote, Macgyver, Nero Wolfe, Criminal Minds, ER, Third Watch and Boston Legal. She was known as Bernadine Norris on the TV special Mothers Day on Walton's Mountain and Kathleen Maxwell in the original miniseries V. Her best-known film roles included Grace in Ghost Town and Maggie Stone in Disney's Iron Will in 1994. Her most recent movie was You Don't Mess with the Zohan.

Penny is survived by her daughters Arcadia Conrad and Brittany Jones, and her beloved grandchildren Emily, Grady, and Luna. She will be tremendously missed.