The ‘Dean of Real Estate’ Passes On
It was with heartfelt sadness that I learned today of the death of my friend, mentor, and fellow real estate agent, Don Pennington.
Don was respectfully referred to as the ‘Dean of Real
Estate‘ although I always teased him and called him the
‘Duke’ or the ‘Dean Martin’ of Real Estate.
Don was a true rock-star legend in the local Kitsap County WA real estate market. While many people get their license and attempt to practice real estate, Don was a highly respected and knowledgeable professional and staunch advocate for his clients.
When I made my return to real estate, it was Don Pennington who took me under his wing, and showed me the ropes of Buying and Selling Homes in Kitsap County. He was my faithful navigator as we embarked on home tour every week, making sure that we never took the same route twice, so I could learn every alley, backstreet, and shortcut. And all along the way, he would point out all the homes he had listed or sold (which were quite a few, many of them two or three times!). I learned more about real estate in a 5 minute conversation with Don than I ever did sitting through hours of classroom sessions. He was never too busy to offer up sage, practical advice to anyone who asked for help.
As a fellow Bubblehead (Submarine sailor) we shared many similar memories, attitudes, and convictions – the kind of things that usually went unsaid, but you both knew and understood. The last time I saw Don was just a week or so ago, and we talked about getting together for lunch to get caught up.
To this day, whenever I am showing homes to clients, and I open the door, I still hear Don say “Realtor in the House!”
Don, you were a true gentleman and a valued mentor. ‘Green Board’ my friend!
During my brief Navy
career, my boat (USS George Washington SSBN598) pulled into the
newly constructed Bangor Subase to on-load
missiles. I can vividly recall standing watch topside along the
shore of Hood Canal and being in awe of the
majestic Olympic Mountains. Clear Creek Road was
the main ‘north/south’ route back then, and
Silverdale consisted of only a 4-way stop sign and
Elsie’s. Since those days, in the back of my mind has always been
the dream of one day returning to live in the scenic
Pacific Northwest.
