Penny Paster

OREGON - Penny Paster (née Natkin) passed away on Sept. 23, 2023. She was a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a sister, a teacher, and a student of life and compassion.  It’s impossible to sum up Penny’s life in a few short words, but we’ll try.

Born in Chicago in 1944, Penny taught on Chicago’s near west side in underserved communities, the spark of a lifelong passion to empower others.

She was an adventurer in the true sense of the word, traveling through Europe, East Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific on a shoestring throughout the 1960s and 70s. Her love for travel influenced her life and how she raised her family. Throughout the decades, she and Zorba traveled across the U.S. and around the globe, exposing their children to new cultures, languages, and the beauty of a world without borders. She taught her children about exploration and encouraged them to live abroad.  Her favorite place to visit was Bali-Penny was happiest on the beach with a good book in her hands.  

She married Zorba Paster on a snow-laden blanket, overlooking the ocean in Halifax, Novia Scotia in 1975. Shortly thereafter, they settled in Madison to start a family and build a community.

Spiritually, Penny was eclectic. Her Jewish heritage was celebrated through traditions, attending services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and hosting a memorable Passover Seder for 30+ years in her home. To Penny, these traditions were a time of contemplation, compassion, and community.

When it came to her spiritual path, Penny’s visit to the Tibetan Library in Dharamsala in 1977 sparked what would become a lifelong study and practice of Buddhism. She studied under the tutelage of the renowned Tibetan Buddhist scholars Geshe Sopa and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Working closely with Geshe Sopa, she helped him and community members support the Tibetan Resettlement Project, organized numerous visits of the Dalai Lama to Madison and beyond, and helped expand the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon.

Penny pursued each goal in life with purpose. She encouraged creativity and discovery for years when she organized, spearheaded, and taught Odyssey of the Mind teams, instilling the skills of problem-solving, spontaneity, and out-of-the-box thinking to convey new paradigms on old themes. As coach, she won two World Championships and a multitude of state competitions throughout the years.

In life, we are fortunate if we meet individuals who change our path through counsel and guidance. Penny was that catalyst. Whether it was an intervention, a quiet talk, a shared book, a kick in the pants, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on in a time of need, or a lifelong friendship, Penny practiced compassion in every aspect of her life.  She always went above-and-beyond to help those in need and exhibited a sense of respect for those she interacted with, independent of one’s background. She taught others, especially her children, to do the same.

We will miss her laugh and smile, her articulation and sincerity, her piercing intellect of ideas, and her compassionate outreach. Penny was a force to be reckoned with in the best possible way.

In her final days of life, she was surrounded by her four kids and Zorba-she was truly happy and at peace.  

Grief is the other side of love. While she may no longer be with us physically, she will never be forgotten-we will always have her memories to cherish and share. Penny will be missed by her extended family and friends. By her children, Zak, Deedee, Eli, and Vanessa, and their spouses, Luiza, Nicholas, Xia, and Mitchell. By her grandchildren, Bella, Zoe, Olive, Lorenzo, Aviva, Marcel, and Pearl; and by her sister, Margie. She will be missed by her husband, Zorba, who loved her as much at the end of her life as he did when they first fell in love in 1974. There was only one Penny Paster, and her legacy will live on.

A Memorial will be held at the FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT-FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, followed by a Celebration of Life at FOUR WINDS FARM, 5735 Adams Road, Fitchburg, at 2 p.m. Festive attire encouraged - she would love that.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Oregon

Funeral & Cremation Care

1150 Park St.

(608) 835-3515