Kyle Penney, CD, RCN Cdr

Kyle Penney of Halifax, NS passed away on October 9, 2024 at the age of 51. Kyle’s sudden loss was unexpected and his family and friends are profoundly saddened. Kyle is survived by his mother Judy and predeceased by his father Keith. He leaves behind his brothers and sisters Kent (Heather), Kera (Chad Le Blanc), Kaelan (Kyle Henderson), and Keith (Kylie). He will be greatly missed by his 8 nephews and nieces and his godson, as it was his role in life as uncle that he was born for. Kyle’s loss is felt well beyond the Penney family as he was a brother, uncle and cherished friend to so many.     

Kyle was born on June 7, 1973 and from day one life for the Penney family would never be the same and was better for it. Kyle was always highly active and extremely outgoing; you always knew he was in the room. Most of the family’s favourite stories have Kyle as the central character, leading his older and younger siblings in adventure (trouble) and this did not change in adulthood. As a military family the Penneys moved around a lot and did not have traditional community roots but that resulted in Kyle having an extraordinary love for his family, the ability to thrive in new places with new people and hold a special place in his heart for the City of Montreal, the home of his maternal grandparents. The family spent most holidays and summers in Montreal and many of Kyle’s favourite memories were made with our family at 149 Dobie Ave. He did not however, inherit the family’s love of the Habs.

Kyle was a natural born athlete and leader. He loved the life of sports and excelled at all of them. From a very young age he played hockey, soccer, volleyball and then later added lacrosse and golf. Whether it was organized sports, school sports, or initiating any kind of game with the other kids in the neighbourhood, Kyle wanted to play. In adulthood he evolved from continuing to play to also coaching and being an Athletic Therapist. Kyle was active in both the Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s University sports programs for many years, supporting the development of the next generation of athletes.

Kyle was three-times the Canadian citizen. In addition to volunteering in his community for youth sports, professionally Kyle served his country as a public servant for the Department of National Defence (DND) and was also a Naval Warfare Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Naval Reserve. Kyle’s passion for biology and exotic fish led him to study biology at the University of Winnipeg after high school. While serving with the Naval Reserve in Halifax he landed a job as a public servant in the environment and safety field of DND. Throughout the years Kyle worked his way up in the organization managing many interesting projects, helping to keep people safe at work and ensuring that the military could do its job while protecting the environment.

Kyle was initially reluctant to follow his father and older brother into the family business of the military. He had tried Sea Cadets briefly as a teenager and found it interesting, however, as soon as it interfered with sports he was out. During his first year in university, he applied for University Naval Training Division (UNTD) to help finance his education. He carefully shortened his beautiful mane of 90’s “hockey hair” step by step at each stage of the selection just in case he changed his mind. His first summer of Naval Officer training had him hooked. The combination of teamwork, community, athletics, challenges, and the opportunity for unique adventures was a perfect fit for Kyle’s personality. Kyle served 32 years as a Naval Warfare Officer and some of the highlights of his career were Operations Officer for HMCS MONCTON, graduating Staff College, and representing Canada on NATO’s CIOR three times. His proudest moment, however, is his current and last position in the Royal Canadian Navy and that is Commanding Officer of his home unit, HMCS SCOTIAN in Halifax, NS. Kyle was extremely proud of his unit and his sailors. It was the highlight of his career to have had the privilege of leading them.

Kyle had a big heart and was very passionate about a lot of things. In addition to all things sport related, he loved to travel the world, breed exotic fish, 80’s rock (specifically Mötley Crüe), the movies, Disney, Star Wars, Halifax donairs, nice cars, and specifically Austin Minis. For those of us lucky enough to have loved and be loved by Kyle, his name is synonymous with fun. He lived life to its fullest and on his terms and many count ourselves as very lucky that he took us along for the ride. Kyle had a huge presence in our lives and he will be with us always. Thank you for everything brother. Your watch is over, we will take it from here. Fair winds and following seas.   

Family and friends are invited to a visitation at Beechwood, Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services (280 Beechwood Ave) on Monday, October 21, 2024 from 11am to 1pm followed by a memorial service. There will also be a memorial service in Halifax on Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 11 am to 1 pm at HMCS SCOTIAN (2111 Upper Water St, Halifax) that is open to anyone who knew Kyle. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Parkinson Canada Home - Parkinson Canada or the Ottawa Heart Institute University of Ottawa Heart Institute