The Trail Smoke Eaters organization has lost another hockey legend this past week. Gerry Penner, one of the last surviving members of the Trail Smoke Eaters team that won the World Hockey Championship for Canada in 1961, has passed away at the age of 89.
Gerry was born in Hague, Saskatchewan in 1934 to parents Ben and Mary Penner and moved to Trail in 1942 where Gerry discovered his love of hockey, fishing and the outdoors. He married his wife Marianne in 1956 and raised 5 children, 19 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Gerry was proud of his family and was there to help them in any way he could.
He was a hardworking individual, holding down many jobs, including a Cominco Firefighter, a BC Ambulance Attendant, a member of Red Mountain Ski Patrol, and a proud member of the World Champion 1961 Smoke Eaters hockey team.
Gerry was a standout left-winger and played a year of junior hockey in Medicine Hat before becoming a mainstay of the senior Smoke Eaters from 1954 to 1967. Gerry helped secure a gold medal at the 1961 World Championships in Switzerland. The ‘61 Smoke Eaters triumph left an indelible mark on the Silver City, one that serves as a source of pride for its residents, and a rich and unforgettable tradition for the Orange and Black.
Funeral details and memory wall can be viewed here: https://memorials.clarksfuneral.ca/gerald-gerry-penner/5313070/index.php#wall
Please join us this Saturday, October 28th at the Trail Smoke Eaters home game for a moment of silence for Gerry Penner. The Great #14, is gone but never forgotten.
