Douglas A Penner

Douglas Arthur Penner

September 18, 1947—August 29, 2025

Doug was born September 18, 1947 in Reedley, California, the second of three children born to Sally (Goertzen) and Wilbert Penner, the middle child between sisters Patricia and Barbara. After spending his early childhood years in Hillsboro where the Penner clan had settled, the family moved to Reedley where Doug’s first male elementary school teacher took an interest in his academic career, making all the difference for him as a learner and student. He graduated from Reedley High School in 1965.

Doug was strongly encouraged by pastors and alums of First Mennonite in Reedley to go to Bethel College--setting in motion the major choices he would make for the rest of his life. He graduated from Bethel in 1969 with a bachelor of arts in psychology and sociology, married Raylene Hinz a week later, headed to Kansas University in Lawrence for a Ph.D. in social psychology, and returned to Bethel in 1972 to teach psychology for the next 15 years.

Doug loved teaching and coaching the women’s basketball team at Bethel but worried that he had begun teaching so young; would he grow stagnant by remaining in one institution his entire career? Were there other skills he should hone? In 1987 Doug began work as an organizational consultant for Growth Associates of Prairie View Mental Health Center where he further developed skills he would use in higher education and church consulting.

Next, Doug served as Executive Director of the Associated Colleges of Central Kansas from 1991 to 1995 before he was inaugurated as the eleventh president of Bethel College in October 1995 and would serve until 2002. He always deemed those seven years the highlight of his professional life. He was proudest, not of the twenty million dollar capital campaign and the new buildings—Voth Hall and Krehbiel Science Center, though he was proud of those monumental efforts made possible by Bethel givers. His greatest satisfaction was in the strategic planning, the goals, the Bethel community focused and engaged, looking to the future. He said he had been changed by his years in the presidency in that he was more conscious of grace: “[T]he task is much larger than the resources available; we are never completely in control . . when the unexpected happens, it takes your breath away. There is a divine dimension always present.”

Doug and Raylene moved to Topeka in 2002 when Doug became president of the Kansas Independent Colleges Association,19 private colleges at that time. For a decade until 2012 he spoke for “the privates” in the state legislature and worked to help find ways for them to collaborate and grow stronger as institutions. His board was made up of his former colleagues, the college presidents. During that time Doug was also moderator of the Western District Conference of the Mennonite Church. Doug had a profound appreciation for the Mennonite Church and served in whatever role he found himself, from Prairie View to the ACCK to Bethel to the KICA. In Topeka he appreciated deeply the fellowship and beloved community that was Southern Hills Mennonite; he grieved the loss of that community when he and Raylene downsized and returned to North Newton four years ago.

Richard Rohr says we should pay attention to the ways we are being prepared in life for the most important work we will do when we are finally fully retired from our need to achieve and looking rather to give ourselves totally in service. For Doug that was a justice ministries effort that he helped to begin and grow in Topeka in his last ten years of professional life and entering retirement. This role gave Doug more joy and fulfillment than anything he had ever done. He helped to found JUMP, Justice Unity and Ministry Project in Topeka, a coalition of 36 diverse faith communities whose mission is to provide a powerful vehicle for marginalized groups in Shawnee County to fight for justice in areas like affordable housing, mental health opportunities, and public school services. After he moved back to North Newton Doug worked again with Western District Conference in listening, consulting, and organizing and grew to love Bethel College Mennonite’s warm community of faith, the mission and the music these last four years.

Doug was a professional, but he was most real in his avocations and ordinary life: fishing, especially with his family in Minnesota over his entire lifetime; grandparenting Esther and Emmeline in the last 17 years, granddaughters who greatly enriched his life; annual outings at his Council Grove City Lake cabin, E-7 with the other Four D’s: dear college friends David Janzen, Don Schmidt, and Dale Schrag. He loved spending time on the farm brother-in-law Jim and nephew Rodney in Nebraska, and his sister-in-law Vicki who became dear to him as a middle school little sister when he began going home with Raylene to Liberal from Bethel College in the late 1960’s. Doug became the son he had never had to his father-in-law Bob Hinz when he married Raylene and worked on the farm to get away from the academic setting and onto the land which he came to love. His mother-in-law Willye Hinz began frying an extra chicken at the supper table just for Doug. He loved his sisters and their children and he loved his cousin Larry and Karen Penner and their children Murray and Diana who took him in when he came to Bethel in 1965 and stuck close and loyal through Doug’s sojourn on earth.

Doug loved languages, Spanish, which he learned in high school and working in the San Joaquin valley with farm workers, loved to practice speaking in Mexico where Doug and Raylene traveled each winter for a number of years. He even learned Chinese well enough when Doug and Raylene were exchange teachers there in 1984-85 to convince the authorities that they could travel without a Chinese interpreter, unheard of in Sichuan at that time! He was an amazing travel planner for numerous international adventures.

Doug loved growing things, especially in the Topeka community garden. He loved the night blooming cereus. He even loved to watch the growing yeast in zwiebach which he learned to bake for his grandgirls. He had played the cello in high school and loved classical music and hymns. He also loved the popular music of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and felt the rhythm on the dance floor better than a lot of Mennonite boys who hadn’t learned to move. He loved the nature in Alaska survivor shows on TV especially as he lost his mobility in recent years. He loved cooking and eating good food with friends, loved frying crappie with Don and Deb Schmidt and loved cheating on his low-salt diet to order biscuits and gravy with his breakfast buddies. He loved his little red pickup which he used to go to physical therapy even when walking had become difficult. He loved Raylene and showed it. People often said Doug’s greatest quality was integrity, a quality which made for loving trust in a 56-year marriage.

Preceding Doug in death are his parents and father-in-law Bob Hinz. Surviving him are his wife Raylene and granddaughters Esther and Emmeline and their parents Karen Siebert and Timm Walker of Prairie Village, Kansas; and his mother-in-law Willye Hinz of North Newton.

In addition, his older sister Pat (Ron Hinds) and their sons Scott Hinds (Maurene) and daughters Josi and Lona; son Jason Hinds (Angela) and children Emma, Celia, and Jaxon Hinds all of Bozeman, Montana; daughter Kelly Petroff (Dan), Las Vegas, Nevada; son Kirk Wallace (Tonya), Little Rock, Arkansas.

Doug’s younger sister Barbara (Bob Esau), Hesston, KS and children Chris Esau (Sheri) and children Taylor, Zach (Mia) and Braden; Heather Esau (Jon Zerger), Newton and children Justin and Addison; Becky Bartell (Nate), Hesston and children Carley (fiancé Ben Bollinger), Drew and Connor. Sister-in-law Vicki Hinz (Jim Ensz), Beatrice, Nebraska, and son Rodney Ensz (Shana) and children Stella and Randall, also of rural Beatrice.

Memorial gifts in remembrance of Doug should be made out to Bethel College.

Memorial service will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton, Kansas