Penny Wilton

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Penny-Lee Wilton (nee Hamilton).  Penny was born on July 17th, 1954 in Mission, B.C. She later moved with her family to the Barrie area and then on to Scarborough, where she crossed paths with her loving husband, Beverly, while working at a camera shop in 1980. The couple married in 1982 and then moved to Blenheim in 1986 where they settled their roots.

Penny was the proud mother of four children; Robin Jones, Meaggan Pettipiece (Brady), Elliot Wilton (Ashley), and Lauren Piett (Riley). She had 6 grandchildren; Lilly, Cooper, Natalie, Chase, CJ, and Chloe, with another expected to arrive this month. She leaves behind two siblings; Rick Hamilton and Cindy-Lou Siemens. She was predeceased by her sister, Toni-Lynn Thorpe, her brother, Corby Hamilton, and her parents, Audrey and John Hamilton. She also treasured many beloved extended family members including nieces, nephews, and many cousins.

Penny built a career in real estate where she enjoyed countless successes and took deep pride in providing caring, professional, and exemplary service to her clients. She was known to go the extra mile, and was unanimously respected and adored by her colleagues. She was a past president of The Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors and the recipient of numerous awards throughout her career including, but not limited to, the Royal LePage National Chairman’s Club, an honour reserved for the company’s top one percent in Canada.

Penny was one of the founders of The Blenheim Youth Centre and spent many years as its president. She took great pride in helping the community’s youth and giving back in such an impactful and meaningful way. Her dedication to this effort will forever have a positive affect on our town.

A woman of many talents and devotions, she enjoyed filling her free time with countless hobbies including sewing, making the best strawberry jam, playing both slo-pitch and volleyball, as well as volunteering for various local charitable endeavours.

More than anything else, Penny found immeasurable joy in her marriage, children, and
grandchildren. She spent many afternoons and evenings at the ballpark watching Bev
coaching and competing for his men’s fastpitch team known as Jukebox Unlimited. She was highly involved in her kid’s extracurricular activities, having acted as the seamstress for Robin’s childhood precision skating team, cheering on Meaggan as she won an NCAA national championship in softball and later attending the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney where Meaggan donned the maple leaf and competed for her country, supporting Elliot as he accomplished a lifelong dream of winning a dirt track race at South Buxton Raceway, and countless hours cheering on Lauren goaltending for Blenheim Minor Hockey teams and playing for high school volleyball teams. In her later years, she never missed a chance to support her grandchildren as they participated in sports and other activities as their biggest fan.

Her presence was comforting, her spirit inspiring, and her selflessness knew no bounds. She was truly “one of the good ones”. Her determined mindset and resilient heart carried her through her most challenging days with grace. We mourn her passing, but cherish her memory and take comfort in the positive impact she made on countless lives. May she rest in peace.

The Wilton family invites you to a visitation on Thursday, April 10th from 2-5pm and 6-9pm at The Blenheim Community Funeral Home. A celebration of life will take place at a later date. To honour Penny’s legacy, please consider a donation to The Blenheim Youth Centre. It will be sincerely appreciated and faithfully applied.