Our beloved Penny Lynn Kimmel passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, April 20th, at the age of 72. Penny had remarkable and sustained optimism throughout her illness with cancer and put up a good fight over the past two years.

Penny was born in Seattle, WA, to Lorraine and Chuck Kimmel, on January 11, 1950, and raised on Vashon Island. She graduated Vashon Island High School, class of 1968. She grew up helping in the Kimmel’s family grocery store from age 13 to 26 years old. After high school, she pursued interests in apparel design, receiving her AA from Seattle Central. She also took a course through Evergreen State College learning the art of photography and media. She went on to San Francisco to attend the Ron Bailie School of Broadcast. Penny returned to Seattle and spent time working for public television. Her various projects included the JP Patches Show and in the 80s she worked in the engineering department of the CBS affiliate, KIRO-TV in Seattle, where she operated the camera for the evening news for many years and where she met her former husband Steven Brien, married in August of 1985 and divorced in 1996. Together they had one beloved son, Jace Brien.

A multifaceted maverick and Jill of all Trades, Penny produced and created video programming, and taught video production and editing for students at Seattle University. At one time she managed a gi showroom, drove a school bus, and helped her mother run an annual sewing retreat that evolved into Stitching Girls Society, a non-profit group to promote sewing. She was quite an adventurer and in the 80s she toured China by bicycle two times and climbed Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. In 1991 she moved back to Vashon with her family and was an active mother in Boy Scouts. In her lifetime, she enjoyed quilting, sewing and designing clothes, art, biking, photography, astrology and gardening.

Penny was preceded in death by her parents Chuck and Lorraine Kimmel, and brothers Pat and Mike Kimmel. She is survived by her son, Jace Brien, brother Jim Kimmel (Priscilla Schleigh), sister-in-law Barbara Brenno and connected to numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends who loved and supported her for who she was. She was a loving mother and a good person. Penny could always be counted on to help and support her family and friends.

Please visit the online guestbook at www.islandfuneral.com.

A private graveside service has been planned. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of owers, please make a contribution to the Vashon Senior Center in Penny Kimmel’s name at https://www.vashoncenter.org.