death

Did You Hear That? An Era Just Passed

Ellie — Your great-grandfather, Bill Pennebaker, died almost exactly a year ago. I was in New York City that weekend in October. Your grandfather was supposed to join me, since New York was a business trip for him. But he’d flown to West Texas when his…

The Final Flight

Dear Ellie — It’s been a tumultuous fall. Aside from the November presidential election, your great-grandfather died that same month. He was your mother’s father’s father and his name was William Fendall Pennebaker. He would have been 99 on December 3. Everyone called him Bill,…