Carol Ann Penrod, known lovingly as Carol, age 80, of Paducah, Kentucky, passed away on August 14, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. She was born on January 31, 1946, in Cleveland, Mississippi, and lived a life marked by love, faith, devotion, and steadfast care for the people and places she held dear.
Carol was the beloved wife of Dallas Penrod for 57 years, and their marriage was a lasting example of commitment and partnership. Together, they built a family that was the center of her world. She is survived by her daughter, Sheri Ann Smith, and her husband, Scott, of Benton, Kentucky; her son, David Gene Penrod, of Paducah, Kentucky; her brother, Jan Haynes, and his wife, Janet, of Paducah, Kentucky; and her cherished grandchildren, Shelby Caroline Smith, Alison Janae Penrod, Savanna Nicole Smith, Sarah Jeanne Penrod, and Joshua David Penrod. She was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Elizabeth Ann Penrod; her sister, Nancy Kay Haynes; and her parents, Jess Wyvon Haynes and Mary Elizabeth Plumlee Haynes.
Carol graduated from Paducah Tilghman High School in the class of 1964 and later earned her bachelor’s degree from Murray State University. She carried the values of hard work, perseverance, and integrity throughout her life, and those qualities were evident in every role she filled. Her education helped shape a life of service and purpose, and she used her gifts in ways that touched many lives.
She retired from the Paducah City School System. During those years, she made a meaningful difference through her work and her steady presence. Carol was also a devoted member of Gospel Mission Worship Center, where her faith was an important part of her daily life and where she was known as a faithful and committed member of the congregation.
Carol enjoyed traveling, shopping, spending time at Kentucky Lake, and tending to her flower garden. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and she especially loved the joy, warmth, and togetherness that came with the season. She treasured her family deeply and found great happiness in the companionship of her animals. Her life reflected a spirit that was loving, faith-filled, and passionate, and those who knew her will remember the kindness and strength she shared so freely.
Those who knew Carol will remember her as a woman of grace and devotion, someone who loved deeply and lived with purpose. She was a source of comfort, encouragement, and strength to her family and friends. Her legacy will live on in the lives she touched, in the family she nurtured, and in the faith she carried throughout her years. Though she will be greatly missed, her memory will remain a lasting blessing to all who loved her.
Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah, with Rev. Jim Wright officiating. Burial will follow at Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery in Dongola, Illinois.
Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or to Imani Milele Children, 10205 US Highway 1, Sabastian, FL 32958.
Share a memory or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com
