SLS 20RS-966 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 34
BY SENATOR FOIL
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the death of G. Allen Penniman.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of G. Allen Penniman.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
5 learned of the death of G. Allen Penniman on April 1, 2020; and
6 WHEREAS, G. Allen Penniman was the eldest son of G. Allen Penniman Sr. and
7 Frances Staten Penniman; and
8 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman was a graduate of Highland Park High School in Dallas,
9 Texas, and also graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1948; and
10 WHEREAS, he later attended Louisiana State University (LSU), was a graduate of
11 the first class of the Mid-South Executive Development Program, and a member of Kappa
12 Alpha Order, Beta Chapter; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman is fondly remembered as the owner and proprietor of the
14 Pak-a-Sak convenience stores which offered all-day shopping seven days a week and
15 featured the first self-service gasoline pumps, as well as legendary barbeque sandwiches and
16 Icee frozen drinks; and
17 WHEREAS, he served on the board of the Council of Profit Sharing Industries and
18 was especially proud that his company offered a profit sharing program to all employees;
Page 1 of 4 SR NO. 34
SLS 20RS-966 ORIGINAL
1 and
2 WHEREAS, in 1971, Pak-a-Sak merged with Southland Corporation of Dallas,
3 Texas, and Mr. Penniman served as a liaison and regional manager throughout the
4 southeastern part of the United States; and
5 WHEREAS, in 1982, he founded the Penniman Company with a business outlook
6 of acquiring, managing, and selling companies; and
7 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman was a mentor, counselor, and friend to many young
8 business people, and was respected and revered for his generosity and business acumen; and
9 WHEREAS, as an active businessman, he cared deeply for his community and was
10 involved in many philanthropic activities, serving tirelessly on numerous nonprofit boards
11 of directors, including the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, the National Association
12 of Convenience Stores, and St. Lukes and St. James Episcopal Churches where he acted as
13 a vestryman and served on the school boards; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman also served as a board member of the Capital Savings
15 and Loan Association, City National Bank, Community Coffee Company, Charter Chambers
16 Supply, Miller Penniman Equipment, and Vermillion Inc.; and
17 WHEREAS, he was also campaign chairman and president for the United Givers
18 Fund, and in 1961, he received the Young Businessman of the Year award; and
19 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman's proudest civic contribution came in the support of the
20 Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, where he was a founder and the last surviving member
21 of that group; and
22 WHEREAS, he served as board president many times in the early years and was
23 unfailing in his support throughout the decades, contributing to building campaigns,
24 scholarships, and teacher incentives; and
25 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman would say, "A day never goes by without my thinking
26 of Episcopal School", and he considered his support of the school his greatest
27 accomplishment, having had the honor of presenting four of his grandchildren with their
28 graduating diplomas; and
29 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman was a member of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and
30 used his Penniman Family Fund to support many nonprofit organizations; and
Page 2 of 4 SR NO. 34
SLS 20RS-966 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, he was a member of the LSU Foundation and supported the School of
2 Arts and Music and the E.J. Ourso School of Business; and
3 WHEREAS, a fan of LSU baseball, he was a member of the Coaches Committee, and
4 was a regular attendee at Alex Box Stadium; and
5 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman grew up hunting and fishing, loved the outdoors, and in
6 1975, he bought property in Clinton, Louisiana, developed the land, and named it Penniman
7 Oaks; and
8 WHEREAS, he taught every grandchild how to shoot a shotgun and bait a hook; and
9 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman planted fifty live oak trees, and those trees carry his
10 legacy of love of family and promise in the future; and
11 WHEREAS, he was a loving and generous patriarch, having married Mary Virginia
12 Crain Penniman in 1948, and becoming parents to five children; and
13 WHEREAS, after Mary's death, he married Joan Calder Penniman in 1977 and is
14 survived by the Penniman family consisting of Laurie and Al McDuff, and girls; Mary
15 Virginia and Kate; Mary Crain and Bill Brumback, and son Jake; Margaret Boudreaux and
16 children, Elliott and Anne; Graham and Maureen Penniman, and children, Alyce, Rita, Mary
17 Margaret, William, and Catherine; Robert and Rebecca, and children, George, Jack, and
18 Elizabeth; Lila and Randy Mulkey and daughters, Sarah, Claire, and Amy; Caroline and
19 Charles Coutret, and children, Will, Gordon, and Eloise; Gordon and Susan Atkins, and
20 children, Mary Katherine, Edward and Henry; and four great-granddaughters; and
21 WHEREAS, Mr. Penniman kept up with every child and grandchild, never forgot a
22 birthday, knew the name of every school and college they attended, every field of study, and
23 every "A" they received; and
24 WHEREAS, he attended every graduation and would say his family was his greatest
25 accomplishment; and
26 WHEREAS, his family would say he was their greatest gift; and
27 WHEREAS, with the death of G. Allen Penniman, Louisiana has lost one of its finest
28 sons, a quintessential southern gentleman who loved his community and whose
29 accomplishments have left an indelible mark upon his community, state, and nation; and
30 WHEREAS, the death of G. Allen Penniman has left a substantial void in the Baton
Page 3 of 4 SR NO. 34
SLS 20RS-966 ORIGINAL
1 Rouge community and a sense of loss in the citizens whose lives he touched; and his
2 memory shall live forever in the minds and hearts of all those who knew and loved this
3 remarkable gentleman.
4 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
5 does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of G. Allen Penniman,
6 record for posterity his outstanding achievements, and extend enduring appreciation for the
7 tremendous pride and honor that he will forever bring to the Baton Rouge community, the
8 state of Louisiana, and the United States of America.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
10 family of G. Allen Penniman.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
SR 34 Original 2020 Regular Session Foil
Expresses condolences upon the death of G. Allen Penniman.
Page 4 of 4