Penny Shubnell was born Penny Rzewnicki in Michigan on June 8, 1943. She grew up there, married and came to California in 1966, where she began working for Carter, Holly, Hale as a data processor. She divorced, earned a BA at Cal State Fullerton and supported her three children by working at Kaiser Permanente, ending up living in Corona. She was a manager, actively involved in writing the programs for the data systems that Kaiser used for its computer network. She never looked back with her favorite motto, “I’ve got this.” Those who knew her would agree she was extremely competent in most anything she undertook.
Twenty-eight years ago, after her retirement in 1996, she moved to Crestline, offering her services as a successful grant writer for businesses and nonprofits, which took much research and understanding of the economy of the area and how the community worked. She promoted local business and, with Mike Neufeld, started the Crestline Connect networking group and was involved in securing the use of the current building used by the Crestline Chamber of Commerce for the community while volunteering with them.
Penny networked with all: the community, government agencies, businesses, nonprofits and her neighbors, trying to help each achieve success. She was appointed to the Crest Forest Municipal Advisory Council by the county supervisor for the greater Crestline area. She was the grand marshal of the 2019 Jamboree Days parade, was elected president of the Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club and so much more.
Penny loved to travel and visited Africa and Japan with her sister, Barbara, and went on European trips. For over a decade, each July she would pack up her truck and drive for over 10 hours to Southern Utah University for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, spending at least four days there, before coming back and sharing with everyone about the fabulous performances she had seen.
After her son, Jeff, died, Penny dove into helping the community even more, giving it her all to make it better, especially for seniors. She encouraged the seniors in sponsoring Memorial and Veteran Days events, since many seniors are veterans, as was her son, Jeff, who had been a Marine. She ran for the sanitation board when the new district was formed, got very involved with Leisure Shores Senior Center, expanding services and adding programs and coordinating the senior nutritional program, which always attracts more than 100 to the twice weekly luncheons. When Covid hit, she was the person who pivoted that luncheon program into a successful drive-up and pick-up plan for the meals that she saw as essential; she saw the program actually grow in the number of recipients. She also enabled Covid shots to be brought up the mountain so the seniors could access them.
Penny coordinated the yearly health fairs and consistently advocated for seniors, so she was recognized for her efforts with numerous awards. She was the Citizen of the Year for Lake Arrowhead, the only Crestline resident to ever receive that honor. Penny was on the Lake Arrowhead Government Affairs Committee which advocates and supports issues that affect the mountain communities and was honored last year by Assemblyman Tom Lackey with a plaque. She worked with the Department of Aging on several of its committees, over the years, for the benefit of the local seniors. She was shy about the dozens of awards she has received, never bragging, each recognizing her for dedication to others and making a difference in the community. Many of these certificates of honor and plaques will be on display during her celebration of life next week.
Penny died on October 18, 2024, leaving behind her daughter, Wendy Signorio, husband Ken and their two daughters, Abby Signorio and Emily Hardman and husband Tyler Hardman. Penny’s other daughter, Kalyn Shubnell, and her brother, Ralph Rzewnicki, 85, of Hemet, are also mourning her loss. Penny had nine nieces and nephews who came to visit her home in the mountains frequently and another 10 nieces and nephews back east. Close family members who recently passed are Penny’s sister, Barbara, and her son, Jeff Shubnell.
There will be a community celebration of Penny Shubnell’s life at the San Moritz Lodge, located at 24658 San Moritz Drive on the east side of Lake Gregory, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8. Doors open at 5 p.m. She will be remembered for her nearly two decades of dedication to the Crestline community and the senior citizen community, which she dearly loved. All community members who knew her and were involved in any of her activities, or who want to honor her life, are invited to attend.
Those who wish to share memories or photos of her are invited to bring them and speak that evening. Because of the hour, this is a potluck of appetizers, so bring some to share. There will coffee, tea and hot chocolate provided by the Lake Gregory Company, and the lounge will have a cash bar for beer and wine.
Those who wish to send condolences or make a donation in her name are requested by the family to send them to the Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club at P.O. Box 317, Crestline, CA 92325.
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