Obituary of Penny Ann Strickland

Life Story for Penny Ann Strickland Penny Ann Strickland, a beloved daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2025, at home with family, in a serene and loving atmosphere. Born in Bowling Green, Virginia on January 13, 1951, Penny grew up 'down home' in Newtown (King & Queen County) Virginia, where she embraced the beauty of her rural upbringing as a proud country girl creating memories with her cousins on their grandparent’s farm. Penny's heart overflowed with love and joy for her family. She loved chatting on the phone with her 93-year-old father, talking about sports, politics, and everything under the sun. She cherished her role as a devoted mother to her four wonderful children: Nicole Lancaster, Stephanie Davis-Ware, Amelia "Me-Me" Edenton, and Jarrett Edenton, all of whom survive her. Through marriage, she also gained a son, Marshall Strickland, whom she embraced as her own, and was honored to be a second mom and friend to. Penny found immense joy in being a mother, and even more joy in being a grandmother, and even greater joy in being a great-grandmother; recently sharing with her daughter Nicole just how much she loved being 'their mom' and expressing her off the charts excitement about being a great-grandmother. Penny was married three times, with her final and most joyful marriage to Ortney "Strick" Strickland, who preceded her in death. Their relationship was full of laughter, adventure, and a deep companionship that created a warm, loving home in Laughlin, Nevada. After Strick’s passing, Penny eventually found peace in a small town in Arizona, where she established great friendships and created a life she truly loved and enjoyed. A trailblazer with a resilient spirit, Penny faced challenges with courage and determination. In 1976, as a single mother of two young daughters in Salt Lake City, Utah, she experienced racial and gender discrimination while seeking employment as a bank teller at First Security Bank. Despite being denied the position multiple times, Penny refused to accept injustice. She sought help from the local NAACP, which filed a claim on her behalf, challenging the bank’s discriminatory hiring practices. Penny's persistence paid off as she won her case and was finally hired. Over the next 25 years, she built a distinguished career at First Security Bank, rising from bank teller to Mortgage Financial Consultant before retiring. After her retirement, Penny's 'adventures' with her husband "Strick” took them to Saudi Arabia, where she embraced a new role in the U.S. Postal Service's International/ Foreign Service, as an expatriate postal worker, a position she truly loved. During her time there, Penny developed a fondness for exploring and collecting Saudi Arabian money and coins, she enjoyed adding them to her eclectic collection of treasures, and she also enjoyed sharing these treasures with her family and friends. Penny had a vibrant spirit and a passion for life. A true fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Utah Jazz, she could often be found ‘dressed up’ and cheering for her favorite teams with enthusiasm. She loved music and she loved to dance. Her love for music included all genres; and at any given moment you could find her at a nice jazz restaurant enjoying dinner and music or sitting in a lawn chair enjoying her favorite artists at an outdoor jazz concert. Her love for music extended to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, whose beats she could never resist, and when 'The Purple Ones' music was playing; Prince, you would find Penny dancing, singing, and snapping her fingers to his music just like her mother, Grace used to do. A creative spirit, Penny designed and sold modern and antique jewelry, blending old and new with a unique flair. She also found joy in the kitchen where she delighted in learning, and sharing new recipes with her family and friends. An avid collector, she had a vast array of trading cards, pretty rocks, seashells, knickknacks; and most especially she cherished the handmade masks and artwork created by her daughter Stephanie and granddaughter Karlei. Penny's adventurous and eccentric nature shined through in everything she did—from her bold fashion choices, including vibrant wigs, to shaving her head and wearing stunning headpieces with confidence. An enthusiastic bowler, she proudly played in multiple leagues and even named her bowling ball "Penny," a reflection of her fun-loving personality. Above all, Penny was a woman of faith. Though she did not belong to a specific church, she found spiritual inspiration in the teachings of Joel Osteen. Most importantly, she had a deep, personal relationship with the Lord and had received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Penny enjoyed many adventures in different parts of the world, she spent her final days of life surrounded by love and care in her daughter Nicole's home, where she had recently moved just days before her passing. Penny was preceded in death by her Mother, Grace Thomas; Husband, Ortney Strickland, and her sister, Audrey Thomas. Penny leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and resilience. She is survived by her father, Timothy Thomas; her siblings Sandra Lambert, Vincent Thomas (Christine), Amanda Thomas-Wright (Grant), and Juniata Farr; her children Nicole Lancaster, Stephanie Davis-Ware, Amelia "Me-Me" Edenton, and Jarrett Edenton; and her grandchildren Richard Lancaster III, Taiya Lancaster, Karlei Thompson, Elyjah (Ely) So, Jayda Murphy, and Janessa Parkinson. Her great-grandchildren, Avani Lancaster and Kharia Haywood; who were like sunshine in her life and brought her immense joy. Penny also had a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and very dear friends who touched her life, and they were also touched by Penny Ann’s life, love and kindness.