Kathryn Eleanor Pennington

Artist, musician, wordsmith, and teacher Kathryn Eleanor (Causey) Pennington, age 96, passed away on July 5, 2026.

In her lifetime, Eleanor lived in a variety of places. She was born in 1930 in Macon, Georgia–a place she loved for its Southern charm. She graduated from the Macon Hospital School of Nursing in 1954, and from Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois in 1960. She lived in Greenville for over 60 years, working, getting married, and raising three children. In her later years, she moved to Winterville, Georgia, to live with her oldest daughter Emily.

Eleanor used her creativity her entire life. As a child she spent hours making up stories and games with her sister Margaret. She also played the violin and piano, and she studied drawing with her father Henry Causey, who was a self-taught railroad draftsman and Eleanor’s hero. Her creativity also included a love of flowers and plants. In her college days, Eleanor studied art and creative writing. In her work life, she taught art and humanities at Greenville College and art, creative writing, and drama at Mulberry Grove High School in Illinois. Her creative approach to life also helped her raise three children after the sudden death of her true love and husband Donald Roberts Pennington in 1972. She became a 4-H club leader so her girls could join 4-H and learn skills. The Town Toppers club even won the Bond County Share-the-Fun skit contest with a skit Eleanor wrote. Her Christmas creativity evolved from homemade wrapping paper and ornaments to save money, to hand-painted wooden Christmas ornaments of the homes and interesting architecture of Greenville. These led to the publication of her book Tales, Trails, and Breadcrumbs in 2004, a colorful history that showcases Eleanor’s paintings, knowledge of architecture, and storytelling abilities.

She taught her children the joy of word play and writing, and she often quoted Shakespeare as a means to explain the world. A favorite game at home was when she announced “Rhyme All The Time.” She brought laughter to her children and friends with clever sayings like TINASS! (This is not a shopping spree) or “the definition of software is a fur coat.” Living with Eleanor meant living with color, joy, laughter, and cleverness.

After her children were grown, Eleanor continued to bring creativity and community to Greenville. She was a proud member of The Greenville Shakespeare Club from 1968-1980, 1991-2019, and an honorary member beginning in 2020. She enjoyed hosting so she could show off her beautiful china and her recipe for Saltine pie. She also started the current Greenville Garden Club in 1994 to further her love of plants, flowers, and gardening. She sang in choirs and played violin and viola in orchestras and quartets for years. Her creativity shone through her intricate quilts, paper sculptures, and drawings. The community was blessed to have Eleanor’s creativity throughout the years.

Her creativity, vibrancy, and word play continued until the end, sharing daily Penn-Quips and her own take on the NYT Connections game with her family. Through all her ups and downs, Eleanor was one of the bravest people of all.

Eleanor is survived by her children Emily Eisenman (Jack), Susan Pennington (Frank Eller), and Jonathan Pennington (Tracy), seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, and her sisters Margaret Rinkel and Elaine Hatcher. She is predeceased by her brother Henry Causey.

As Eleanor always said, “All’s Well that Ends Well.”