Jeannie Pengal
Jeannie Pengal Nov 5. 1933- March 3, 2022
Born Jean Mae Lewis while her mother Zila and natural father John Lewis were on a visit to Kaiser WVA, she was taken back home with the family to Painesville, Ohio shortly after her birth where she was raised. At two years old her Mother divorced, and remarried to Chuck Bittner who Jeannie always said was her real Dad, so although never officially adopted she took his last name. She had two infant sisters who passed away, each just a few days after birth when she was very young. Her childhood was otherwise very happy growing up on Cedarbrook Dr and she, through roller skating and school, developed many lifelong friendships, notably Lola, Donna, Phyllis, Janet, Rose, Cory, her Beta Sigma Phi Sorority friends, the “Harvey Girls”, Billy Rigo, Earl, and her one famous friend Harlan Ellison, to name a few. She was well liked in school and played clarinet in the Harvey HS marching band. She loved to dance and even danced off of a roof once. She attended various churches with her friends but eventually joined the Painesville United Methodist Church where she eventually got married. While still in high school at 17 she met Bob Pengal at the skating rink and they dated until that wedding in 1953. They both loved to dance and skate and continued to do so until their 80s.
She had 4 kids: Toni born first in 1954 followed by Chad, Bobbie, and Danny. She raised them in Concord, “out in the country”. She loved to take them to the beach, camping, church (which was sometimes a struggle), and visiting friends and relatives. She held various part time jobs after marriage .She worked retail, waitressed, and volunteered at the hospital. She was known for her neat as a pin house. She decorated to the hilt for each holiday. She served on the PTA and volunteered for everything she could at the kid’s schools and never missed any events that they or the grandkids were involved in. She worked retail, waitressed, and volunteered at the hospital, but she was a full time mom. She had an apple selling business from the front yard orchard and would save that money to buy kid’s school clothes and help pay for vacations.
Jeannie was always outgoing and friendly. It seemed everyone knew and liked her. Once we were at Disney World and someone came up to us and said Jeannie, is that you? True story! She and Bob loved to attend parties and dances and although Bob didn’t like to host parties, when she wanted to have one at the house it was always a “surprise party” to him…..so he wouldn’t say no, usually after a long week at work. She’d say, “He’ll get over it”, and he would. They were well known for their party games. After the kids grew and moved she and Bob moved to Florida for half the year where they resided for 27 years, the other half was in their house in Fairport, where it was her lifelong dream to live.
In Florida they hosted out of town guests, attended frequent polka jams, roller skated, she played tennis, and went to the beach, of course. Down there she had some snowbird friends from Ohio and made many new friends. Around 2008 they decided to move permanently back to Willoughby, Ohio. She continued to skate and dance for a while, and also would take the stage to sing with the family bands on occasion. “Must be the Money!” She will always be known for her smile, her eternally positive outlook, and her love of family especially Bob her husband of 68 years. Her favorite all time movie was “Gone With the Wind” and I always thought she imagined their love equal to that of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler.
She is survived by Bob, her son Charles (Chad) and wife Gloria Pengal, daughter Bobbie and husband Tony Yerman, son Danny Pengal, grandchildren: and Jamie and Doug Hegfield, Kenneth and Nicole Pengal, Anthony, Alex, and Aaron Yerman, Jeannie and Brian Mowry, Jessie and Steve Tramte, and Brandon Lindgren, great grandchildren: Gage Housholder, Eden, Ryan, and June Hegfield, Beckham Yerman, and baby Scarlett Jean Tramte. Preceding her in death were her mother Zila, father Chuck, and daughter Toni Pengal.
Services will be held at her request as a small graveside service for the immediate family. Thanks to all who have reached out to the family, especially the nieces and nephews, your love is truly appreciated.