Pen was a HUGE influence on me and my family. He was my “Santa Barbara dad”. Our frequent lunches on the terrace at Valley Club served as a recurring blessing of Pen’s wisdom, reflections on life, relationships, parenting and faith.
The entire House of Morouse felt a special connection to Pen and were always greeted with a smile and a hug in venues large and small.
My service with Pen on the Westmont Board of Advisors gave me an insight to his strategic thinking skills and substantial charm and savvy. He was an important voice at the table and he earned the respect and friendship of the entire board/exec team at Westmont.
I will remember Pen every time I visit Valley Club. The Morouse family often saw Pen/Mary Alice after our respective church gatherings where we would meet up on the Valley Club terrace for an early Sunday brunch.
I wanted to be sure to share a story about the special gift I received from Pen in May of 2009. After Pen had a custom set of TaylorMade clubs made for his height and swing, we had a very memorable round of golf.
To underscore a special day, Pen clobbered his fairway wood on #14 (a 164 par three over a big ravine). Here’s a view from the tee box at #14 from a recent painting by Graeme Baxter:
Pen’s tee shot was true and headed directly for the pin. We raced to our golf cart and drove up to the green. I (sneakily) took out my phone and captured the moment Pen picked his ball out of the hole. HIS FIRST HOLE IN ONE!!!
I was overjoyed and felt so privileged to be a part of this milestone. When we got back to the cart after celebrating this amazing shot, Pen suddenly got very quiet and his face turned ashen.
I was so concerned that his mood changed so suddenly. I grabbed his arm and said, Pen… are you o.k.????
He smiled and turned to me and said “I hope the good lord doesn’t take me now!!!”. His hole in one may have been the last thing on his “bucket list” and the gravity of that accomplishment caused him to have a moment of panic!
We laughed as we drove to the next hole and then to another of our memorable lunches.
I close by saying THANK GOD that the Lord gave Pen ten more years of memorable lunches, laughter, advice and love.
His favorite and most inspiring subject at our lunches was his love of family and endless stories about your lives, family friends and shared experiences.
I think about what a marvelous and active life your family has had, and I have tried to model in my own small way the thoughtfulness and character that I saw in Pen.
My deepest condolences to you both and for your extended families. A huge loss only tempered by the joy of thinking of Pen being reunited with Mary Alice and Bradford.
Pen Tudor is a shining example of a life well lived and the world has lost a true gentleman and truer friend.
With sadness and hope.
This essay originally published on April 24, 2019.