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After a well-lived life of 79 years on this good earth, A. B. Pennington of Bynum, Alabama passed away on Friday, February 22, 2013. Born in the small town of Portal, Georgia in 1933, A.B. was born in poverty as a child of the Great Depression. Through his own hard work and that of his mother Allie, his brother Jim and his beloved sister Bernelle, the family managed to overcome the challenges of that time, and each went on to touch the lives of many others. After graduating at the top of his class at Portal High School, A.B. spent several years in the Army before going to work as a civilian employee of the Defense Department. After a brief tour of duty at Anniston Army Depot in the early 1960’s, A.B. (or "Penny", as many of his co-workers knew him) took assignments at Letterkenney Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and the Army Materiel Command headquarters in Washington, DC before returning to the Anniston Army Depot as its Director of Quality in 1974. He eventually became the Depot's Deputy Commander for Total Quality Management before retiring from the post several years ago. A.B. was also a longtime coach of little league baseball teams in the Bynum and Oxford area, a member of an area camping club, and was active in community affairs in Oxford. He leaves behind his devoted wife Sandra, his son Mike and wife Peyton, his son Steve and wife Tina, and his son Tony. He is also survived by his daughter Shelley Pugh and her husband Tony, and his son Shayne Saccal and wife Ginger. His surviving grandchildren include Jenni Pennington, Aulton Ralls Pennington, Allie Rabon Pennington, Petty Officer First Class Jeremy K. Pennington and wife April, Blake Pennington, Brian Pennington, Kennedy Johnson and husband Michael, Kaleb Presley, Kolby Presley, Braxton Saccal, and Aubree Saccal. A.B. is also survived by 3 nephews, a neice, and 5 great-grandchildren. The family will host an informal reception and wake in A.B.'s honor at the Event Center at Miller Funeral Home in Oxford from 5 until 8pm Tuesday. Dress is casual. Friends of A.B. and his extended family are welcome to stop by to share memories of A.B. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Humane Society of the United States or your local chapter, to the American Heart Association, or to the American Cancer Society. Because A.B. chose cremation, there will be no interment and therefore no pallbearers. However, all those who were coached as youth baseball players by Coach Pennington should consider themselves honorary pallbearers.

Tributes

Aulton "AB" Pennington

June 18, 1933 - February 22, 2013