He was born in Floyd County, Aug. 19, 1935, a son of the late Boyd Ellis Penson and Laura Jane Rogers Penson and was a 1954 graduate of Berry Academy. He followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a plumber and steamfitter, being a member of Local 766 of Rome and Local 72 of Atlanta. He then went with Combustion Engineering servicing several Georgia Power plants. Returning to Adairsville, he became superintendent of the water and gas departments and in 1995 was elected mayor of Adairsville, serving until 2007. He retired in 2010 from Evans Construction Co.
He was a member and deacon of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, East Floyd Lodge #728 F & AM, York Rite, Yaarab Temple, Rome Shrine Club, Adairsville Lions Club, Berry Alumni Assn., Past-President of North Georgia Municipal Assn., member Adairsville Downtown Development Authority and member of the Bartow County Housing Authority. During his tenure as mayor there were many improvements, but none so dear to his heart as the Restoration of Downtown Adairsville, especially The Depot. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Cynthia Lee Penson in 1969, and a brother, Rev. Donald Penson.
Surviving is his widow and childhood sweetheart, Betty Lee Sexton Penson, to whom he was married, March 5, 1954; two daughters and their husbands, Vickie and Hank Millsaps, Cohutta, and Melinda Doyalene and Joe Meeks, Rome; two brothers and their wives, Boyd (Buddy) and Ann Penson, Rome, and Dale and Wanda Penson, Kingston; two sisters, Shelba Dawson, Kingston and Marie Hudson, Cartersville; brother-in-law and wife, Robert and Fonda Sexton, Rome; grandchildren, Seth and Jordan Millsaps, Cohutta, Zachary Llewallyn, Charleston, S.C., and Tyler Llewallyn, Pensacola, Fla., Casey and Taylor Meeks, Rome; goddaughter, Heather Fisher Heard, Madison, Ala.; special friends, Glenn and Cora Flemings, Woodstock and Doyle and Ann Fisher, Ashland, Ala.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, in the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Highway 293 between Rome and Kingston with the pastor, Rev. Jerry Branton officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Hill cemetery. The family will receive friends form 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at Good Shepherd Funeral Home and at other hours will be at the residence. Active pallbearers are asked to meet at Good Shepherd Chapel by 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and include Seth and Jordan Millsaps, Zachary and Tyler Llewallyn, Larry Pratt and Joe Sims. Honorary pallbearers are asked to meet at the church by 1:30 p.m. and include members of East Floyd Lodge #728 F&AM.
Please visit our website www.goodshepherdfh.net to sign the online guest book, post tributes and view a DVD of the life of Doyal Ellis Penson.
Parnick Jennings Sr.'s Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave., 706-234-9622, Rome, has charge of the arrangements.