Pennel Whitworth Bird

May 13, 1963 - August 23, 2021 In a family with a Robert, a Christopher, and a Cameron, Pennel Bird's distinctive name set him apart from birth. The name Pennel, a variation of the family name "Pinnell," conjured up both history and a sense of whimsy that absolutely suited him, said his sister Lara Kalt. "Everyone knew Pennel. What a name. He was so proud of it. From a little boy, he was larger than life. He just had this personality." Pennel Bird, who died in Los Angeles on August 23 from a tragic interaction of medications resulting in an accidental suicide, was a supernova of creative energy and soul with many identities: adored Special Education teacher, gifted singer-songwriter, witty comedian, passionate writer, doting husband, and proud father. He was someone who noticed and appreciated everything – and everyone – around him, whether sending a birthday card to an old friend's child, or noticing a beautiful full moon and shouting out "Viva La Luna!" at the top of his lungs, Pennel was mesmerized by the beauty in the world, said longtime friend Eric Coleman. "He would find the grace notes in life everywhere." The fourth of five siblings, Pennel Whitworth Bird was born May 13, 1963 in Greenwich, Connecticut to Robert, a lawyer and investment banker, and Virginia, a Jungian psychoanalyst, who taught the children to question and debate established truths. Pennel graduated high school from The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut, and then from NYU, majoring in English and Art History. Pennel pursued his passion for music, playing in bands before, during, and after college, including Kinetic Sect, Tinderbox, Gravityhead, and Low. He performed at some of New York and Connecticut's biggest clubs, and for a short time was signed with a major record label-until a management change shifted the label's priorities. He was a talented comedian, performing improv, monologue, and sketch comedy on the New York and Los Angeles circuits, winning the Manhattan Monologue Slam six times. Even beyond the stage, Pennel's boundless creativity endeared him to both friends and strangers. He invented games, staged pratfalls, and transformed ordinary moments into memorable, joyful fun. According to one of his closest friends, Pete Begler, "Pennel was so warm and welcoming. He wanted to live life to the fullest, to 110%, to experience and to enjoy every single thing."While performing at comedy and music clubs in the evening, Pennel began teaching during the day. During that time, he began dating Michelle Oricoli, who had just graduated from New York's Cardozo School of Law. They had met several years earlier and kept bumping into each other on the streets of Manhattan. As Pennel's father toasted at their wedding, "The gods of love kept giving them a chance to understand they were supposed to be together." Michelle said she fell for Pennel because of his deep intellect, incredible soul, and ability to make her laugh until her sides hurt. While still dating, Michelle moved to Los Angeles and Pennel followed. He shared a ramshackle Silverlake house with a handful of roommates-all of them struggling performers like himself-who soon became some of his closest friends. Friends spoke of escapades around town led by Pennel, whether sneaking into a party in the Hollywood Hills and delighting new friends until dawn, or arriving at a concert without a ticket and winding up in the front row, or dramatically hitting every note of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" at karaoke. Friend Adam Scott said that Pennel taught others to find the joy in each moment, and to live out that joy - a philosophy Scott says he has internalized and passed on. "It's such a profound way to give yourself permission," he said. Scott and other friends asked Pennel to officiate their weddings, something he did with soulfulness and flair. "Pennel made every dinner, holiday party, and game night 10 times more fun with his larger-than-life personality and amazingly infectious laughter," said friend Hillary Seitz. "Everyone's hearts lifted the second he walked through the door. He was that special."After marrying in 2000, Pennel and Michelle had two sons, Wyatt and Callahan. Fatherhood was a revelation to him and a time of great joy. The couple faced unique challenges and worked tirelessly for their sons. "He was an incredibly devoted father," said Begler. "He wasn't sure he was going to be a great dad, but he took to it instantly." Pennel taught his boys to live life to the fullest – inventing games, playing music, passing along his infinite curiosity. He would turn reading something as dry as The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy into a game he dubbed "The Smartening," where they would read together and then discuss topics from Winston Churchill to Bob Marley. "The boys became his focus," Begler added. "He was their biggest cheerleader."He was also both a cheerleader and an advocate for his students with diverse needs, including ADHD, autism, and other challenges. "Pennel kept his eye on the forest and on each blade of grass," wrote Lynda Rescia, Principal of Ivanhoe Elementary School, where Pennel worked for nearly two decades as the Special Education Resource Teacher. "He supported his students with boundless love and intensity." Pennel believed it paramount to instill resilience in his students – that they were learning a valuable life lesson by working so hard at what came so easily to others. Former students have often credited him with getting them to a place where higher learning became possible. One Ivanhoe parent said, "During the most critical stretch of our son's development, Mr. Bird was a godsend." At Ivanhoe, Pennel called upon his roots in entertainment to bring something extra to the school experience. A colleague stated, "Pennel found it important to keep bringing that silly wild joy and laughter to the community, and especially, especially, especially to those who needed it the most." He emceed assemblies, and every few years at the holiday program, students performed a song he had written, "That Christmas Feeling," an homage to his and his mother's love of Christmases long gone by. Each October, third-grade students performed "Halloween is Coming Soon," another of Pennel's songs. Pennel remained deeply connected to music and culture, as well as to politics. In recent years, Pennel wrote for conservative websites. While he voted for Obama twice, he became disheartened with the political state of the world. Those closest to him link his childhood of inquiry and exploration to his desire to question and weigh all sides. Friends say Pennel sought out civil discourse, even with those who held differing views. Kalt said, "It was very painful for him to see disharmony with no opportunity for dialogue." As the pandemic hit and his teaching went online, "Pennel fully recognized the depth of what he was doing as a teacher," Begler said. "He was feeling successful. He wasn't chasing anything."Pennel leaves behind his wife, sons, siblings, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, in addition to the friends and students whose lives were buoyed each day by his joyful spirit. They have created www.PennelBird.com in his honor and a GoFundMe site to aid his family with college tuition and mounting expenses. As one parent posted on the Ivanhoe PTA Instagram: "Forever for me, Mr. Bird will be the unofficial mayor of Ivanhoe. His big smile in the morning, standing by the auditorium posts, surveying the mayhem, helping the kids, sharing a quip … May the light and learning he brought into their lives be his legacy."