Penny Lou Wolfe

BROWNSVILLE, TX. – Penny Lou Wolfe entered into eternal rest at her home on Friday, the 18th of September 2026, surrounded by her loving family.

Penny was born on November 7, 1942, in Anderson, Indiana, to Mary and Ernest Lame. She attended Anderson High School and later attended Purdue University.

On October 3, 1964, Penny married the love of her life, Bill Wolfe. Together they had three children, Brad Wolfe, Jason Wolfe, and Amanda Wolfe Gonzalez. In the summer of 1980, Penny and Bill moved their family from Anderson, Indiana, to Brownsville, Texas, where Bill was working with General Motors. The move was a great leap of faith for their family, taking them from the community they knew to South Texas and a culture that was new to them. Brownsville would become their home, and Penny became deeply involved in the community.

Penny was an active member of the Brownsville Junior Service League from 1987 to 1991, contributing countless hours of community service. She later became a sustainer and was a member of the BJSL SPARS, Sustainers Reminiscing & Partying Society, from 1992 through 2025.

Penny served on the Gladys Porter Zoo Board from 1993 to 2019, giving more than 25 years of service to one of Brownsville’s most treasured institutions. She was also actively involved with Zoofari, the Zoo’s annual fundraising event.

She served on the Board of Directors of the Lower RGV Nursing Scholarship Fund, serving as Chair of the Silent Auction fundraiser. Her work helped provide nursing students with prepaid tuition and books so they could focus on their studies. Penny had a particular talent for fundraising. When she approached a business or individual for a contribution, her persistence and enthusiasm were rarely turned down. Her dedication to the Nursing Scholarship Fund was relentless.

Penny’s Catholic faith was an important part of her life. In 1997, she co-created the annual Roscas de Reyes Three Kings Celebration and hosted the event in her home for five years in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Above all, Penny was devoted to her family. She made a point of bringing everyone together regularly. Weekends often included her grandchildren coming over to swim, family dinners, and time spent together at her home. For Penny, keeping the family connected was important, and those gatherings became a tradition that created countless memories for her children and grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, Penny was preceded in death by her sister, Sondra Kay.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Wolfe; her children, Brad Wolfe (Cassandra), Jason Wolfe (and Vilma Wolfe), and Amanda Wolfe Gonzalez (Chris); her grandchildren, Samantha Ptacnik (Erick), Jason Wolfe, Scott Wolfe, Nikki Lennon (Will), Tatiana Wolfe, Daniel Wolfe, Bobby Tyler, Chris Gonzalez, and Edward Gonzalez; and her great-grandsons, Luka Evans Ptacnik and Liam Alexander Ptacnik. She is also survived by her nephew and nieces, Greg Fineberg, Amy Bingham, and Beth Torbeck, as well as extended family and friends.

Visiting hour with the family will be held on Saturday, the 26th of September 2026, at ten o'clock in the morning, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 1914 Barnard Road, Brownsville. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at eleven o'clock in the morning. All services will conclude at the church.

Penny’s honorary pallbearers are Cathy Young, Starr Putegnat, Sandy Caldwell, Lucy Willis, and Deanna Ortiz+, remembered in spirit.

In lieu of floral arrangements and customary remembrances, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Penny's memory to Gladys Porter Zoo (link) or Guadalupe Regional Middle School (link).

The Wolfe Family would like to thank Dr. Kalim Habet, Louis Boling, Dr. Ahmad Karkoutly, Valley Baptist Medical Center Brownsville, South Texas Rehabilitation Center, Amor Eterno Providers - Blanca Perez, Valley Care Home Health Services - Ody, and Our Caring Hands, Hospice and Palliative Care, LLC. for the care provided to Penny. The family extends a special thank you to Jasmin Leal, Luis Trejo, and Isabel Gonzalez, for their care and support.

Penny will be remembered for her commitment to her community, her Catholic faith, her passion to help others, and most importantly, her devotion to her family. The traditions she created and the family she worked so hard to keep together will remain an important part of her legacy.

Memories of Penny may be shared at www.darlingmouser.com.

Personalized funeral arrangements directed by Steven R. Hieu Bailey, CFSP and Staff have been entrusted to the care of Darling-Mouser Funeral Home at 945 Palm Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas 78520, (956) 546-7111.