Obituary of Anne Winchester Penniman

Anne Winchester Penniman of Essex, CT died peacefully in the embrace of her family on September 17, 2015. She was the beloved wife of Caleb J. Penniman. They were married for 63 years. Boo, as she was always known to friends and family, was born in Wilmington, Delaware on April 14, 1929, the daughter of Anne Canby Winchester and George Winchester. She attended Foxcroft School in Middleburg, VA. After marrying in 1952, Boo and Caleb lived in Lake Forest, Illinois, New York City and Chappaqua, New York before settling in Essex in 1977. Boo had a deep love of history and culture, a prodigious intellect, and a boundless curiosity for learning and exploring, which she shared eagerly with others in her community. Before her marriage she worked in banking and for the CIA. In the early 1970's, she developed and led the Learning Center at Lake Forest Country Day School. Under her gentle and good-humored guidance students were encouraged to follow their individual interests wherever they led. While living in Manhattan, she volunteered for an educational program at the United Nations and in Chappaqua she worked for the local library. In 1978 Boo joined the staff of the Essex Library and eventually became its director. Under her leadership the library constructed a new building and became an accessible resource for all members of the community. Boo was a one-woman reference center from the pre-Google era. On those rare occasions when she didn't know the answer, she would point people in the right direction and happily work with them until they found what they needed. Upon retirement, she remained engaged with the community as a long time member of St. John's Church, serving as the leader of the lectors and a member of the altar guild. Very late in life, she took great joy in working on the Scholarship Committee at Essex Meadows. Her lifelong passions were learning, exploring the world with Caleb, and returning home to Essex to be with her beloved family. Throughout her life she quietly touched an untold number of lives with her love and compassion, gifts she gave willingly, asking nothing in return. She will be sorely missed by so many. Boo is survived by her husband Caleb and their three children: Mary and her husband Garrett Moran of Greenwich; George and his wife Anne of Essex; Caleb Jr. of Essex; and grandchildren Elizabeth, George and Caleb Moran and Jeannette and Amelia Penniman. She is also survived by her sister, Judith Spruance, and her family of Wilmington, Delaware. A memorial service will be held on October 24, 2015 at 11:00 AM at St. John's Episcopal Church in Essex. A private interment was held at Riverview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Boo's memory to the Essex Library Association, 33 West Avenue, Essex, CT, 06426, or to the Scholarship Foundation at Essex Meadows, 30 Bokum Road, Essex, CT, 06426. To share a memory of Boo, or send a condolence to her family, please visit www.rwwfh.com. Arrangements by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, Centerbrook.