Modest & Grateful - Larry Pennell and his Canada
Description
Lawrence Pennell was a man of his time but what set him apart was that his life was dominated by a sense of duty to community, including the less fortunate. In World War II, he was a Flight Lieutenant in the RCAF. As general-manager of a hockey team he was asked to represent Canada at the World Championships. As a lawyer he defended eleven persons charged with capital murder. He was elected a member of Parliament three times and served as Solicitor General of Canada.
His journey is the history of Canada in the 20th century. His parents arived in 1907. An older brother, a private in the Canadian army, was killed fighting in World War I. Larry Pennell was raised on a farm and worked in a steel mill. He was one of more than a million Canadians who fought in World War II. As a Member of Parliament, Pennell voted for the Canada Pension Plan, Medicare and a new flag for Canada. He played a prominent role in the abolition of capital punishment and in the establishment of the student loan program.
Pennell's example and character can teach us much, but we can also take much pleasure from his company. He attended a one-room school and saw the Great depression up close. He survived two airplane crashes and was the target of an assassin. He shared a desk in the House of Commons with Pierre Trudeau and an apartment with a future member of Hockey's Hall of Fame. He made President Lyndon Johnson laugh and held the hand of a condemned murder moments before the hangman placed a noose around the man's neck. Throughout his long life, Pennell never allowed men or events to conquer his spirit.
His journey is the history of Canada in the 20th century. His parents arived in 1907. An older brother, a private in the Canadian army, was killed fighting in World War I. Larry Pennell was raised on a farm and worked in a steel mill. He was one of more than a million Canadians who fought in World War II. As a Member of Parliament, Pennell voted for the Canada Pension Plan, Medicare and a new flag for Canada. He played a prominent role in the abolition of capital punishment and in the establishment of the student loan program.
Pennell's example and character can teach us much, but we can also take much pleasure from his company. He attended a one-room school and saw the Great depression up close. He survived two airplane crashes and was the target of an assassin. He shared a desk in the House of Commons with Pierre Trudeau and an apartment with a future member of Hockey's Hall of Fame. He made President Lyndon Johnson laugh and held the hand of a condemned murder moments before the hangman placed a noose around the man's neck. Throughout his long life, Pennell never allowed men or events to conquer his spirit.
