Obituary

Penelope Jean Youngers Troup Prol was born April 24, 1936, in Pender, NE and passed away from a short, but vicious, bout of cancer January 16, 2024, in Mission Viejo, CA.

Penelope grew up in Nebraska as the only child of Gene and Gretchen Youngers in the small town of Pender. She attended Wayne State Teachers College and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1958 with a teaching degree. She was also a proud Alumnae of the Chi Omega sorority.

After teaching in Omaha, in 1962 she met and married her first husband, John William Troup, with whom she had three beloved children. The family moved around several times before settling in Irvine, CA in 1976.

After leaving education, she began working in administration and benefits, eventually earning several professional certifications including her ARM and CPCU in Risk Management, one of the first women nationally to do so. She retired in 2000 as a Vice President of Risk Management at Freedom Communications, owner of the Orange County Register and other newspapers and television stations, having risen to become the first female VP in company history.

She then began her retirement adventures, volunteering with the Orange County Philharmonic Society enriching herself and countless school children with a love of music. Penny was also an integral member of Geneva Presbyterian Church serving in numerous capacities as an Elder and a Deacon. She also thoroughly enjoyed all her travels in Europe, the US mainland and Maui, HI with her second husband Howard K. Prol and her extended family.

Penny lived a very full life both professionally and personally. She will be deeply missed by so many, and most deeply by her family.

She is survived by her husband Howard, her three children, five grandchildren and Howard’s two children and four grandchildren.

Services will be held Saturday, February 3, 2024 at 10:00 am at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your favorite charity or one of Penny’s: The Philharmonic Society of Orange County or the Geneva Presbyterian Church Scholarship Fund.