Following his return from the service, they were married on Nov. 27, 1946. Together they moved to Lyman and later built the house “on the corner” and raised two sons, John and David.
Penny never obtained her driver’s license, but that never stopped her from working outside the home. She waited tables in Alfred, tended a lunch counter in Waterboro and upon the opening of the new Massabesic High School in the fall of 1969, Penny rode the school bus with her kids to work as a lunch lady each day.
At home, Penny was an excellent cook; she made homemade cakes, pies and her famous Toll House cookies from scratch. Her main focus was caring for her family and cultivating a strong work ethic to ensure their success in the future.
Penny was a longtime member of the North Parish Church in Sanford, where she served as a Deaconess and also a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Ruth Chapter in Springvale.
Penny enthusiastically and generously supported Tibbetts Family Farm and could be found tending to the farm stand and greeting people for many years. She especially loved the fall season when young families would come by with their children to select just the right pumpkin for Halloween.
After retiring, she was content to be at home, where she loved to read an assortment of authors and books. Penny enjoyed the wry observations of American humorist Erma Bombeck and the stories within the Chicken Soup books. Penny loved the movie “Gone with the Wind” and any movie with Shirley Temple, whose career she followed even as an adult in politics. When she did go out, her favorite lunch was a hamburger from McDonald’s.
In her later years, Penny maintained a daily journal to help her remain independent in her home. She was very proud of her sons and had a very loving relationship with her daughters-in-law. As gifts, she gave them each a treasured tourmaline jewelry piece.
She was affectionately called Grammy by her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Penny will be dearly missed and will be buried with her husband of 66 years, John W. Tibbetts.
She is survived by: her two sons, John E. Tibbetts and wife Elaine of Lyman, and David W. Tibbetts and wife Jill of Dayton; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her brother, Harold Penny of Billerica, Massachusetts.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 at 11 a.m. at the Autumn Green Funeral Home, 47 Oak St., Alfred. Committal prayers and burial will follow at the Chadbourne Cemetery in Lyman.
To leave a message of condolence for the family, visit www.autumngreenfuneralhome.com.
With Penny’s love of children and helping others, consider donating to the Ronald McDonald House, 250 Brackett St., Portland, ME 04102 in lieu of flowers.
The Autumn Green Funeral Home is respectfully handling arrangements.
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