Dale “Penny” Haefner Sweeny, age 68, of The Villages, FL, passed away on July 3, 2015. Penny was a woman of many gifts who achieved a great many things but most notably she was an accomplished educator, a devoted mother and a beloved friend to many. Born in Buffalo, NY to Edith “Obie” and Clarence “Butch” Haefner, Penny was a proud teacher for nearly forty years helping special needs children the entirety of her career. She retired in January 2006 and in 2011 relocated to The Villages where she loved playing cards, dominoes, and being with all the countless friends she made, as Penny never met a stranger. She also loved her lake house in Long Beach, Ontario where she spent every summer for the past 16 years. It goes without saying Penny was the ultimate Buffalo Bills fan, despite how many games and Super Bowls they lost, she never lost faith in her team, always watching every game on Sunday. Penny battled illness for three and one half years and while being the toughest fighter her doctors had ever met, in that period she always had time for everyone who sent her cards, emails, prayers, called, or visited. She passed away in her own way, surrounded by her beloved family. She is survived by her husband of 33 years Jonathan, her sisters Lynn Sullivan and Patricia Vega, and her children Bridget, Elizabeth, and Brendan.
To celebrate Penny’s life, a memorial mass will be celebrated at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, in The Villages, on Friday, July 17th at 10:30 a.m. Another celebration and mass will also be celebrated in Western NY at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 157 Cleveland Drive, Cheektowaga, NY to be held on Saturday, July 25th at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to any of these organizations. Ovarian Cancer Research Fund – https://www.kintera.org, Ten Lives Club – http://www.tenlivesclub.com or
Erie County SPCA – https://www.yourspca.org