Clarence Joseph Penaz

Clarence J. Penaz, age 101, died in Hopkins, MN, on August 2, 2025. Born September 9, 1923, to Richard and Mary Penaz on a farm near Silver Lake, MN, he grew up helping with the family dairy business and raising geese that he later exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair. He enjoyed sports, playing football, basketball and baseball on local teams. His two older brothers, Harlow and Leonard, were drafted into the US Army in 1942, and in January of 1943 Clarence enlisted in the Navy. He served on the destroyer USS Gansevoort DD-608 in the Pacific during WWII, surviving a kamikaze attack near Mindor]o. After the war he returned to Silver Lake, and soon married his high-school sweetheart Mary Ann Jerabek. Trained as an electrician by the US Navy, Clarence got a job at NSP Co. where he worked for 36 years. He was a proud member of the IBEW, Local 160, for 77 years. Clarence and Mary Ann lived in Minneapolis for several years, then bought a home in Hopkins where they began a family, eventually moving to Minnetonka in the '70s. They loved traveling and searching for antiques together; after his retirement Clarence spent much of his time repairing and refinishing old farm furniture for Mary Ann's antique shop in Minneapolis. He liked listening to big-band music and especially to baseball games on the radio. As a young man Clarence enjoyed hunting and fishing; he always loved the natural world, and would often write expressively and in detail about the birds, foxes and deer he saw crossing his yard to and from a nearby pond. He also wrote about his family history and memories of growing up on the farm. His experiences in WWII convinced him that, as he put it, "war is only good for killing." He was a compassionate man, kind and generous, and always concerned about others who were less fortunate. Clarence's family wish to express their deep gratitude and appreciation to his close friends of the past five years: the very special and caring staff at his last home, Chapel View Health Care Center in Hopkins. Clarence Joseph Penaz was preceded in death by his parents, his two older brothers Harlow and Leonard, and his wife of 65 years, Mary Ann. He is survived by his five children and their spouses: Ann Marie Penaz (John Sonderegger), John Penaz (Claudia), James Penaz (Linda), Joseph Penaz (Marcia) and Mary Louise Penaz (Robert Vellani), as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and the families of his brothers Harlow Penaz and Leonard Penaz. Mass of Christian Burial, August 14, 2025, at St. Gabriel the Archangel, 1310 Mainstreet, Hopkins, MN, 10:00 am. Visitation one hour prior in the church. Please direct memorials to the Animal Humane Society. www.washburn-mcreavy.com Hopkins Chapel 952-938-9020

Tributes

Clarence Joseph Penaz

September 9, 1923 - August 2, 2025

Tributes

Clarence Joseph Penaz

September 9, 1923 - August 2, 2025

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