William Thomas Penn

William Thomas Penn of Fitchburg, Wis., passed away on August 7, 2026, at the age of 91. A devoted fan of jazz, classical music, cars, Wisconsin beer and terrible puns, Tom will be remembered as a dedicated husband and father, a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity, and an unfailing advocate of the advantages of a manual transmission.

Born in Rice Lake, Wis., on February 16, 1935, Tom lived in several parts of Wisconsin in his youth before moving to Falls Church, Va., where he completed high school. According to a family legend, he believed he was a direct descendant of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, and appeared in a 1937 newspaper article identifying him as “William Penn the 10th.” When he learned later in life that William Penn had no living descendants, he mused that he should be known as “William Penn X,” for “William Penn, the Unknown.”

A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University who later earned a master’s degree in psychology from George Washington University, Tom worked for 30 years with Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis, Ind., eventually overseeing the household moves of relocating employees. Before settling in central Indiana, Tom worked with General Motors, the Cummins Engine Co., and, most intriguingly, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Tom served on active duty in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1958 and was a member of the Michigan National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve, receiving an honorable discharge in 1964.

In 1997, Tom fulfilled a lifelong desire to return to Wisconsin, retiring to the Madison area with his wife, S. Joan (Wigger) Penn. They enjoyed an active retirement, participating in senior learning programs through Elderhostel and the Madison learning organization, PLATO. Tom taught several PLATO courses on jazz music, which were widely appreciated for his belief that a good class was built on “less talk and more music.” Tom also volunteered for more than a decade as a front desk receptionist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, making him one of the very few people able to navigate the hospital without getting lost.

In later years, Tom was a doting caretaker for Joan, who passed away shortly after the couple’s 60th wedding anniversary in September 2019. They are survived by their children, Sandy Penn (Andy Wroblewski); William Douglas Penn; and Michael Penn (Patty Dutile); and their four grandchildren, Rachel, Allison, Grace and Alex. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, William Keith Penn and Grace (Greenwood) Penn, and his brother, James Keith Penn.

Throughout his life, Tom was known to embrace the Irish goodbye, often disappearing from holidays and family gatherings hours early, hurriedly departing with a muttered complaint about “beating the traffic.” While this practice was a source of loving frustration among his family and friends, it makes it all the more remarkable that Tom lived into his 90s, an age that exceeded even his own expectations of longevity. He gave us more years than we could have imagined to appreciate his outlandish tales of high-school adventures, his groaner jokes and his vigilant counsel on proper tire inflation. In the end, he did not leave the party early, and for that, we are all deeply grateful.

The family wishes to thank the kind and talented staff of Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg, Wis., and Westminster Place in Evanston, Ill., which provided skillful and compassionate care in Tom’s later years. A private memorial will be held at a later date. The family encourages anyone wishing to honor Tom’s memory to support their local library, or to go take a long drive on a sunny day and think of Tom when you calculate your gas mileage. To view this obituary and leave a memory, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com.

Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Verona Chapel
220 Enterprise Drive
608-845-6625