Almeda ''Penny'' Gross

ALMEDA PENNINGTON GROSS, age 83, died Friday, September 1 at Hart Heritage Assisted Living. Her spirit of volunteerism, determination to help others, and zest for life defined her.

“Penny”, as she was known by her friends, was born October 20, 1922, on her parent’s farm near Bel Air. She was the daughter Charles Bradley and Emily Littlewood Pennington. She was sixth of their eight children. Growing up on the farm with her brothers and sisters were among her fondest memories.

She attended the one room Thomas Run School and then graduated from Bel Air High School in 1939. She earned her R.N. degree from the University of Maryland in 1945 and practiced nursing at the former Women’s Hospital in Baltimore. She was also an industrial nurse at Western Electric in Baltimore and worked private duty nursing throughout Harford County. It was during this time in 1947 that she married her high school sweetheart, Benton Gross Jr. and began to raise a family.

Penny devoted much of her time to many volunteer organizations. She started as a Girl Scout and Brownie leader in 1956. Later she helped to establish the County Church Community Clothing Center, the Bel Air Teen Center and was also instrumental in beginning Meals on Wheels of Harford County where she volunteered for over twenty years. Reverend Richard Shreffler, former minister of Bel Air First Presbyterian Church and good friend, said “We could always count on Penny.”

Penny was also known for her flower arranging talent. She received several awards in local contests and spent many Saturdays decorating the First Presbyterian Church where she was a lifelong member. It was this love of flowers that led her to volunteer her time to Bel Air’s Appearance and Preservation Committee. She was also a member of the Perennial Gardeners, whose talented members were skilled at decorating such places as Ladew and Steppingstone Museum. She was also a member of the Mt. Gretna group where she was known for her creativity with costuming. As a resident of Ridgewood Road in Bel Air for almost fifty years, she was “a generous and kind-hearted neighbor who always had an open door and a welcoming smile for the children of the neighborhood”, said Ron Stearns, a lifelong neighbor and friend.
.
Mrs. Gross is survived by her two children, Judith Dettner of Forest Hill and Jeffrey Gross of Edgewater, Florida; her five grandchildren, Jason, Dustin and Todd Gross of Edgewater, Florida; Christine Grutta of Eugene, Oregon and Gregory Pardew of Baltimore; her sisters, Rose Sellers of Wilmington, Delaware, Edith Kilby of Colora and Louise Pennington of Perry Hall; and her two brothers, Herbert and Jack Pennington both of Bel Air. Donations in memory of Mrs.Gross can be made to the Thomas Run Foundation, 2418 Thomas Run Rd, Bel Air, MD 21015.