Troy Lewis Pennington
Troy Lewis Pennington, age 77, passed away on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at his residence in Grapeland. Troy was born on a cold and icy January 16, 1948 at home on Hayes Springs Cemetery Road to Wade Lewis Pennington and Edna Arvay (Cummings) Pennington. The weather was so bad that Wade had to fetch Dr. Sam Kennedy on a tractor to deliver him. Troy attended Grapeland schools from first grade to graduating in 1966. He was an outstanding athlete, starring in football, baseball, and track, and he loved being a Grapeland Sandie. Upon graduation, he attended and graduated from Tyler Junior College in 1968.
Troy married his high school sweetheart LaWanda Thetford, on July 27, 1968, and they would celebrate their 57th anniversary this summer. They moved to Commerce, Tx where he attended East Texas State University. He finished college at Sam Houston State University. He did his student teaching in agriculture at Crockett High School, and upon completion, the lure of the farm drew him home. At that time, he became partners with his dad Wade, and brother Glynn, and the rest is history, as he began a 50-plus year farming career. Watermelons, peanuts, and Angus cattle were his specialty, and family will tell you that Troy is the partner who guided the business to the nationwide business it is today, where they send watermelons coast to coast and into Canada. At the time of his death, he was an owner of Wade Pennington and Sons LLC, and RP Feed, LLC.
He loved Grapeland and its people, and served on so many boards and organizations through the years. He was the President of Texas Angus Association; was on the board of the Texas-Oklahoma Watermelon Association; and an 18-year member of the Grapeland Volunteer Fire Department. He served 18 years on the Houston County Appraisal District Board of Directors and the Grapeland Peanut Growers Board. For years, he wrote the sports for The Messenger, and the highlight was following the 1974 State Champion Sandies and writing the front page article about the state game. He was a regular on KIVY’s Pigskin Pickens show. He is a member of Grapeland’s First Methodist Church and is a life member of Grapeland Masonic Lodge #473.
But most of all, he loved his family, and was so proud of each one of them. He was the happiest when they were all working with him in the watermelons. He loved to brag that he worked with his dad, his wife, his two brothers, his three sons, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and two grandsons. He would say, not many people can say that!
Music was his thing! And it wasn’t the type you would expect. He loved Cool and the Gang; Van Halen, Shawn Colvin, Cher, and Eminem. He attended a Michael Jackson concert, Mariah Carey concert, and had tickets to Britney Spears, but she broke her leg and had to cancel (a fact he never got over). If he found a song he liked, he would record it over and over on a tape, and listen to it at the highest volume there was and drive his family crazy.
Troy was preceded in death by his parents, his son, Russell Brent Pennington and his sister, Nita Pennington Bennett. He is survived by his wife, LaWanda; his son, Aaron Wade Pennington; his son Ross Howell Pennington and wife, Kim; granddaughter, Taylor Marie Pennington Cutshaw and husband, Eric; grandson, Case Howell Pennington; grandson, Colt Boone Pennington; and great-grandson Cutter Stiles Cutshaw. He is also survived by his brother, best friend, and business partner, Glynn Pennington; his brother Stanley Pennington and wife, Jan; sister-in-law Marjorie Thetford Spake and husband Roger; sister-in-law Kay Pennington Smith and husband, Frank; best friends from first grade, Phil and Martha Bedford Tompkins, his cat, Gray Kitty, and numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services for Troy were at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at Grapeland’s First Methodist Church with Bro. Jeremy Brewer & Bro. Randy Shipman officiating. Graveside services were conducted by the Grapeland Masonic Lodge at the historic Refuge Cemetery, where 6 generations of his wife’s family are buried. He will be laid to rest by his son, Russell.
Pallbearers will be: Will Crawford, Keaton Tarver, Michael Cutshaw, Jeff Kerby, Ricardo Martinez, Jason Bridges, Brandon Richburg, and Mitchell Huff. Honorary pallbearers are the 1966 Grapeland High School classmates.
