Fred J. Penley Jr.

Fred J. Penley, Jr. (Ted) of Old Tappan, NJ passed away May 6, 2014, at age 90.

A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at St. Stephen's United Methodist Church with interment to follow in Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m., Monday at the McEWen Funeral Service.

Ted was born March 27, 1924, in Salem, VA and grew up in Fincastle, VA the youngest of six children. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as an air traffic controller and later moved to Charlotte, NC where he met and married Rachel Shanklin Penley. He spent his career in the life insurance industry with both Metropolitan Life and Protective Life. Ted had two daughters with Rachel, Susie Penley McMurry and Robin Penley Jones as well as a son, Hugh Michael Penley from an earlier marriage. He was immensely proud of all three of his children and worked hard to give them a good life. Ted and Rachel were charter members of St. Stephen's United Methodist Church and played an active role in the church for many years. Outside of his family Ted's passion was golf and he spent many happy hours pursuing the sport. As a matter of fact, Ted was such a fan that in his later years he would not agree to move to NY until the presence of the Golf Channel could be confirmed on the local cable system. Ted moved north in 2011 to live near his elder daughter and two grandchildren. He was the southern gentleman of Sunrise at Old Tappan, NJ and indeed, the poster outside his apartment depicting his interests proudly displayed military insignia, jigsaw puzzle pieces, golf clubs, and fried chicken.

Ted is predeceased by his father Fred J. Penley, Sr. and mother Grace Newberry Penley of Fincastle, VA, his wife Rachel Shanklin Penley of Charlotte, NC and his son Hugh Michael Penley of Houston, TX. Ted is survived by daughter Susie Penley McMurry and grandsons Frederick Dean McMurry and William Christopher McMurry of Orangeburg, NY, daughter Robin Penley Jones of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and daughter-in-law Linda Penley of Houston, TX.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Stephen Menitove of Rockland Pulmonary in West Nyack, NY for his unflagging support and excellent medical care. They also wish to thank the staff of Sunrise at Old Tappan, NJ for their loving and patient care and for making Ted (or Fred as they knew him) a part of their family.