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ADELINE (ADDIE) PENNER
Born: May 15, 1928
Date of Passing: Dec 29, 2024
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryADELINE (ADDIE) PENNER
With great sadness, the family of Addie Penner announces her passing on December 29, 2024, with family at her side.
Addie is survived by her loving children, Dan (Marnie), Kathy (Rollin) and Paul; grandchildren, Cassidy (Gillian), Claire (Victor), David, Emily (Michael), James (Jess), Samantha (Chris), Brett, and Vic; and great-grandchildren, Jacob, Benji, Martin, Aria, Kai, Jude and Araiyah. She was predeceased by her parents, Martin and Anne.
Addie was a first generation Polish Canadian, raised in the north end where she and her parents were active members of the Polish community. After obtaining a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba in 1951, Addie began her career in positions with Jewish Child and Family Services and the Children’s Aid Society of Winnipeg. She then returned to U of M as a part-time Instructor at what became the Faculty of Social Work. She would continue as an educator and administrator for 20 years, eventually assuming the positions of Associate Dean, Acting Dean, Director and Senior Scholar. In 1993, Addie received the Canadian Association of Social Workers Distinguished Social Worker Award and an Honorary Life Membership. In 2000, she received the Helen Mann 50th Anniversary Award from UM’s Faculty of Social Work.
Addie married Roland Penner in 1949 and they supported each other in completing their education and launching their careers. In their early life together, they were involved in Winnipeg’s left-wing political community – something Addie saw as a way to pursue her lifelong passion for human and civil rights. After years of spending holidays camping in an old tent and later, a trailer, Addie and Roland built a beautiful log cabin on Sandy Lake in Northwestern Ontario, which became a beloved family getaway and the scene of many legendary weekends with her close friends.
In middle-age, Addie bought her own house and spent her retirement enjoying Winnipeg’s rich arts scene, volunteering, spending more time at the cottage and travelling the world, including trips to Europe, Israel, Asia and South America.
Addie was a dedicated community volunteer during her working life and into retirement. She served, often as a Board Member, with Main Street Project, West End Cultural Centre, the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, the Children’s Aid Society of Manitoba, the Alzheimer’s Society, South Winnipeg Child and Family Services, Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, Manitoba Medicare Alert Coalition, Assiniboine Credit Union, Creative Retirement, and Astra Non Profit Housing Corporation. She frequently was called upon to advise the provincial government on issues of health, family and community services.
A love of music and the arts was central to Addie’s life. She was an ardent supporter of Canadian artists and actors, often billeting actors, directors and stage managers in her art-filled Scott St home. In the 1950s she sang with the Winnipeg Folk Singers and, in her retirement years, with the Ladies of the Street choir. She served on the Winnipeg Jazz Society board and sat on the Manitoba Arts Council for ten years.
Addie will be remembered for her compassion, independence, tenacity, humour and formidable intelligence. She was never one to stay silent when she saw something wrong – from global politics, to women’s rights, to a child or grandchild’s bad manners.
During the last several years of her life, Addie fought fiercely against the dementia that ultimately robbed her of all that intelligence and passion, but what we will remember are her strength, wit, and many professional and personal achievements.
Addie’s family would like to extend our thanks to the staff at Riverview Health Centre for the compassionate care they provided in her final years and days.
True to how much she cared about people, art, her community and the planet, Addie generously supported dozens of charities over the years. If you wish, please honour her memory by donating to a human rights or arts organization.
A celebration of Addie’s life will be held at a later date.
The family invites friends and relatives to honour Addie’s memory by sharing photos, memories and stories by visiting Addie’s photo-biography, which is accessible through the 'tributes' link below.
Publish Date: Jan 4, 2025
ADELINE (ADDIE) PENNER
It is with deep sadness that the family of Addie Penner announces her passing on Monday, December 29, 2024, at the age of 96.
Cremation has taken place. A longer obituary will follow, and a Celebration of Addie's Life will be held at a later date.
Publish Date: Dec 31, 2024
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 31, 2024, Jan 04, 2025
Condolences & Memories (5 entries)
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An exemplary life, well-lived to the fullest, and with a passion for justice that was always infectious. It is a privilege to have mentors, and Addie was one to many, until almost attaining Sto Lat. Sincere condolences to Addie's Family her many, many Friends, and those fortunate to associate with her keen intellect and grace throughout her life's many endeavours. - Posted by: Victoria Lehman (Friend) on: Aug 18, 2025
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My sincere condolences to all of Addie's family. I remember her from my student BSW daysin the 70's. She was always helpful and encouraging. RIP - Posted by: HEATHER HARTRY (student) on: Jan 12, 2025
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We have known Addie and her family as they came to be since the early 'fifties and were united in our interests in many ways. Beginning with sharing our values with respect to human rights and living conditions of people, this extended to our love of folk music, sharing experiences with visiting folk singers like Pete Seeger, Odetta, Guy Carawan, Peggy Seeger and Ewan Mcall, etc.and also in both being members of the Winnipeg Folk Singers of which Addie was an original founder. Later in life we both became social workers, Koren a Lawyer for Zuken and Penner, and then Addie became the Dean of Social Work. We still dream about our wonderful holidays at Addie and Roland's log cabin at Lac Lu where we did plenty of singing and cooking. Addie who had been a smoker claimed to have lost her sense of smell. But then in her 50's she decided to get off the weed and it was at Lac Lu after we cooked up a Chinese dinner that she announced while eating that she had just regained her sense of taste after some twenty years without it. We will miss her always and think fondly of her. Len and Koren - Posted by: Koren and Leonard Kaminski (Old friends) on: Jan 07, 2025
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Kathy and family, I offer my sincere Condolences on the passing of your beloved mother. What a remarkable life she lived! Sending you love across the years and miles. May her memory be a blessing. - Posted by: Maureen Cormack (Friend of Kathy’s) on: Jan 04, 2025
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so very sorry to hear the news of Addie passing. She was a warm, caring person. -not only for her family but for people she did not know personally. She was among the people who fought for women's rights when it was not the popular thing to do. She was an activist. To the family my deepest sympathy- Dora Rosenbaum - Posted by: Dora (Paul) Rosenbaum (life-long friend of Addie &Roland and their sons) on: Jan 01, 2025
