Mildred McIntyre
Our sweet mom, grandma, and dear friend, Penny McIntyre, died peacefully at home on May 2, 2025.
Penny was born on August 11, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in Tampa, Florida with her parents Minnie Lee and Jessie Linton Hancock. From early on there was always lots of activity in their house as the family hosted dozens of foster children over the years. Always an animal lover, Penny was surprised in junior high school with a gift from her parents of her very own horse, Danny Boy. She spent hours riding and even competed in English jumping, earning many ribbons. Penny attended Plant High School before attending University of Tampa where she was on the cheerleading squad and played women’s basketball. But money was always tight; many times her meal consisted of packets of ketchup with white bread to make “ketchup sandwiches.” When the exciting opportunity came along to join National Airlines as a “stewardess,” she jumped at the chance to travel and see the world. It was a glamorous job for her time. After three years with National, her life would change again when she met the handsome Marine Corps pilot Melvin “Mac” McIntyre on a blind date arranged by her best friend Joni. Penny and Mac fell deeply in love and were married on July 15, 1960 in Miami. They welcomed baby daughter, Cindy, in 1962. Tragically, just the next year, Mac would be killed in a helicopter crash during training exercises in the Marine Corps; Penny moved to Colorado to try to piece together a life with Cindy near Mac’s family, his parents, Paul and Serephina, and sisters-in-law Patty and Cheryl, whom she remained close with for the decades to come. Mac would always be “the love of my life” as Penny would say, and as a mother she poured the love and care of her life into her daughter, Cindy.
Penny joined Western Airlines as a Customer Service Representative in 1964 and later with Delta Airlines when the companies merged. There were many times of laughter in the “airline family” with bowling leagues, Halloween Parties, Christmas Charity events and more. Cindy still remembers phoning in to the office every day after school to ‘check in’ and hearing Ralph Ritter’s laughing voice on the other end of the line. Penny retired after thirty years, and though she enjoyed her career and friends, her favorite role was as a grandparent. She treasured her time with her grandkids, Jake and Sara, always baking up banana bread, or making plans for shopping, watching the Broncos, or eating out together. Her sweetest time in 2024 was to attend each of their weddings, embracing Jake’s wife, Amy, and Sara’s husband, Austin, as her own. Penny loved her family well, and also loved her savior Jesus Christ, who gave her strength in difficult times; comfort in loneliness; and most of all hope for the future that she has now stepped into. We miss you, but we’ll always carry you with us in our hearts and we’ll see you again.
Penny is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Joe Hess; grandson and wife, Jake and Amy Hess; granddaughter and husband, Sara and Austin Lupinetti; sisters-in-law Patty Prescott and Cheryl Brophy, and much loved extended family.
Instead of flowers or donations, we ask you to remember Penny by holding tight the ones you love, “love who you have while you have them you never know when they’ll be gone, love who you have while you have them just hug ‘em and help them along.” —lyrics by Joe Hess