Obituary of Donald Blair Pennell

Passed away peacefully on January 22, 2015 from the consequences of Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his sons Mark, Scott, and Thomas, his daughter June, daughters-in-law Kristi and Martha, and grandchildren Brandy, Connor, Jamie, Megan, and Nikita. Born August 15, 1934, in Queens, New York, he grew up in Flushing, and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Manhattan College of New York. He served his nation in the United States Air Force. His life’s work as engineer and manager took him from Consolidated Edison in New York to Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc. in the Washington, D.C., area, where he served as a consulting engineer on the construction of large public transit projects, including the Washington Metro and light rail projects in Portland, Ore. Along with his beloved family and his deeply held Catholic faith, his two great loves were railroads and baseball. An avid rail buff, he collected HO-scale model trains and engaged in the construction of a never-ending series of basement layouts inspired by his lifelong affinity for the New York Central Railroad. His baseball loyalties were firmly with the New York Yankees, and he was an active and devoted participant as parent, grandparent, coach, and scorekeeper in youth baseball programs in New Jersey and in Northern Virginia. Friends may call on Wednesday, January 28, from 6 to 8 PM at Advent Funeral Services 7211 Lee Hwy. Falls Church, VA. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St Philip Catholic Church 7506 St. Philip’s Ct. Falls Church on Thursday January 29 at 11:00 AM Interment will be in Queens, New York, on Friday January 30. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.