Ronald Ray Penny
February 24, 1949 - October 9, 2013

Ronald Ray Penny, 64, a resident of Austin, Texas, joined his Lord in Heaven October 9, 2013, after a long illness.Ron was born in Dallas, Texas, on February 24, 1949, the son of Thomas Wilson and Anna Bell Penny. Ron, his twin brother Donald, and their four sisters grew up in Dallas, where he graduated from South Oak Cliff High School in 1967.Following graduation, Ron went to work in the food service industry, taking an entry level position with a restaurant chain. Armed with determination and a strong work ethic, he eventually rose to become the general manager of a company franchise. While managing that store, he fell in love with an employee, a college student from Brownsville Texas, named Lorraine (Pete) Francine Lapeyre. They married in 1977 and relocated to San Benito, Texas, where Ron began a new career in the seafood business. He worked for his father-in-law at Shell-Tex Fisheries, a shrimp processing and packing facility, before becoming employed with Demerico, Inc., a shrimp brokerage firm in Brownsville, Texas, where he worked for a number of years. The experience gained throughout his years of dedication in the seafood industry enabled Ron to successfully operate his own brokerage firm, Shrimp Tex Distributors, for 25 years. Ron was a well respected member of the Texas Shrimp Association and the Texas Restaurant Association throughout his career in the seafood industry.A devoted husband and father, Ron and Lorraine were married for 32 years, and blessed with three sons (Brian Thomas, Jason Alexander, and Ronald Ray, Jr.) of whom they were tremendously proud. Ron was also the proud father of a daughter, Jennifer Laura Penny, from a previous marriage. Following the untimely death of Lorraine in 2009, Ron moved to Austin, Texas, retiring in 2011.Ron was thoughtful and kind, a man of faith with a wry sense of humor and a genuine love for his family. He will be missed by all who were blessed to have known him. Ron is survived by his sons, Brian (and fianc Robin), Jason (and wife Rebecca), Ronald (and wife Creacy) and daughter Jennifer (and husband Donnie Cole), siblings Barbara Matthews, Jean Tillman (and husband Tony), Patsy Rogers, Donald Penny (and wife Bonnie), Linda Penny, grandchildren Evan and Emma Cole, Lillian, Lilah, and Elizabeth Penny, and Hannah Penny, as well as numerous relatives (including 58 nieces and nephews), in-laws, and devoted friends. Ron was preceded in death by his father Thomas, his mother Anna, his sister Joanne, and his beloved wife Lorraine, with whom he is now reunited in heaven.A funeral service will be held Saturday, October 19, 2013, at 2:00pm at Harrell Funeral Home, 4435 Frontier Trail, Austin, Texas, 78745. In lieu of flowers please visit ronpenny.com to make a donation to the American Cancer Society.

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