Pamela Pennington

Pamela (Pam/Nana) Susan Och Pennington, also affectionately known as “Packie” by her loving husband John, passed away peacefully Wednesday March 4, 2026. Pam was born September 17, 1951 in Chincoteague, Virginia to Robert and Lois Och. Pam’s father, Robert, was a U.S. Navy Veteran and, due to transfer to Whiting Field, they moved to Milton, FL.

Unbeknownst to all, God authored a beautiful love story that she would play the main role in and saw fit for her to meet John, the man she would be married to for 55 years. They were married October 14, 1970. Together they built a house in Pea Ridge, FL where they lived during their early years of marriage. The two of them later moved to Darlington, FL to build a life together on the property the family still knows to this day as “the Farm”. As their family grew, Pam and John later moved to DeFuniak Springs and, ultimately, into the home where she took her final breath in peace surrounded by loved ones.

As the years passed and grandchildren came along, Pam worked outside the home to help support their growing family. Many know her from the bakeries at Winn Dixie and later Wal Mart in DeFuniak Springs where she worked tirelessly for years. She loved plants and flowers, family gatherings, sewing and baking, but mostly she loved her family, and she loved caring for them. Pam was well skilled at making much with little. She would often boast of John’s backyard creations from flower garden ponds and swing sets to even a life size school bus for their beloved grandchildren to play on.

Pam overcame a relatively brief battle with stage 4 lung cancer and continued living and loving to the best of her ability until the very end. From the oldest to the youngest, her love had no bounds, passed no judgment, is the foundation from which three generations have grown, and it is evident in each one of them. Her love extended to anyone she came into contact with. She did not see race or status, only the opportunity to offer kindness and tenderness. She embodied motherhood with her unmatched nurturing, sacrifice, and devotion to her children, their spouses, and later her grandchildren and great grandchildren - whether it was cuddling them or cheering from the bleachers. The legacy Pam leaves behind is one of unconditional love that withstands the tests of time.

Pam is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers Donald and Bobby Och. She is survived by her soulmate, John Pennington; her sister, Sharon Rice-Rowland; her brother Rusty Och; her 4 children Jody Alford (Steven), Cyril Pennington (Cyndi), Greg Pennington (Sherry), and Zack Pennington (Jessica); her 13 grandchildren Starla (Corbin) Minter and Tyler Alford, Austin (Kayla) Habbard, Preston and Ryan (Hunter) Pennington, Daisy (Armando) Pennington, Jada Reynolds, Harold Drake, John Braydon (Kaiti) Pennington, and Dylan (Ashlyn) Hobby, and Delia, Josie, and Miranda Pennington; and her 11 great grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 am Monday March 9, 2026 at the Cluster Springs Baptist Church Cemetery of the Liberty Community in DeFuniak Springs.

Arrangements are under the direction of the McDonald Family Funeral Home.