Paulette Ann Penney, age 88 of Brewster, Mass., passed away in the arms of family on November 28, 2023 due to respiratory complications of Covid-19. Paulette was born in West Warwick, Rhode Island on 7 February 1935 to Harriet (Rivers) and Leopold Nadeau. She graduated from St. Xavier Academy at age 17, completed her training in art and design at Rhode Island School of Design and her Associates degree in accounting from John Tyler Community College in 1976.
In 1953 she married Hubert Francis Penney and for the next 30 years she traveled the world living the peripatetic life of an Army officer’s wife, raising two children (Jeff and Dana) while also building her career in accounting. Starting as a Taxpayer service representative for the IRS, she developed an interest in corporate accounting ultimately serving as a Federal Agent for the U. S. Treasury Department.
In 1984, Paulette and Hugh escaped high-pressure jobs in Washington DC for a quick get-away weekend to one of their favorite places - Cape Cod. Surrounded by the special beauty of the Cape, they decided that there was more to life than work and they wanted to spend more time together. A decisive team, they decided to quit their jobs to become basket makers. They conceived of Sunken Meadow Basketworks, purchased a new home with a studio potential, and bought a puppy. It was quite the weekend. With Paulette at the helm with her design skills and Hugh with his MBA in business, they formed an amazing partnership. Sunken Meadow Basketworks quickly gained a reputation for their outstanding prize winning baskets and in later years their pottery sculptures. Paulette took great satisfaction in creating her own dyes using natural materials, and weaving magnificent baskets and wall sculptures using local grapevines sourced by tree-climbing Hugh.
Owning a small business and creating art was rewarding, and enabled Paulette and Hugh to balance life, develop new interests and friendships. They had amazing adventures together traveling the world. Paulette always said that she loved to visit Italy and Sardinia for “creative inspiration and research for their business,” but everyone knew that the business aspect was for tax reasons. It was her pure joy of exploring new experiences with Hugh and eating gelato that called her back to Sardinia time and time again (although not always in that order).
Paulette’s focus on life quality, dear friends, and love of travel had great impact on her family. Her son spent decades sailing length and breadth of the Caribbean Sea. For many years Paulette and Hugh, along with their daughter and son-in-law, spent holidays traveling to places off the beaten path that never failed to present delightful, unanticipated adventures. Always interested in a bargain, Paulette preferred flights that departed on December 25th when airfares were lower. Thus began the Christmas Day photo tradition: looking bedraggled, cranky and tired on arrival, Paulette delighted in posing us all in front of the most outrageously decorated airport Christmas tree she could find. She loved exploring Argentina; a Christmas day round-trip flight to go butterfly watching and white water rafting at Iguazu Falls in the Brazilian rain forest; watching a performance of the dancing Royal Andalusian Horses in Spain; attending a Berber market in Morocco, and exploring the ancient sites of Egypt.
Paulette had always believed that her best and strongest friendships had been formed in youth. But that belief changed in 2011 when she and Hugh closed Sunken Meadow Basketworks, purchased a new home in Brewster, and – once again – bought a puppy. On Brewster’s Abby Road she found a wonderfully interesting, warm and caring community. She developed deep and enduring friendships and delighted in the little things that brought her such joy. She enjoyed frequent group dinners and spirited discussions, the neighborly banana runs and sharing of garden tomatoes and panna cotta, the quick chats during yardwork on a sunny day, and sense of extended family. She cherished these special friendships.
Paulette was predeceased by her son Jeff; her best friend and sister Althea (Nadeau) Smith; and her younger sister, Gloria Nadeau. She leaves her husband of 70 years, Hubert Penney of Brewster, MA; daughter Dana Penney and her husband Randall Davis of Weston, MA; her daughter-in-law Diane (Penney) Oaks and her husband Barry of Henrico, VA; her grandson Kevin Penney and his wife Emilia of Manakin Sabot, VA; her nephew Paul Smith and his wife Karyn of North Easton, MA and their sons Bradly and Gregory; her nephew Michael Smith and his daughter Courtney of Evergreen, CO; two beloved great grandchildren Artie and Lucas; and many relatives and dear friends.
Visitation will be on Friday December 8th at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 40 MacArthur Blvd in Bourne from 11:30am – 1:00pm. Interment will follow at the National Cemetery.
The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the Brewster Council on Aging or their favorite charity.