Obituary: Penelope “Penny” Van Duyne
Penelope “Penny” Van Duyne, 83, of Scarborough, died peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. She was a caring mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, remembered for her generous spirit.
Born July 16, 1943, in Glen Ridge, N.J., she was the second of five children of Margaret and Lester Vreeland. She spent her early years outdoors, graduated from Pequanock High School in 1961, and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Hartwick College in 1965.
In 1968 she married David Elden Van Duyne, and the couple settled in Towaco, N.J., where they raised three children. She worked as a registered nurse at Barnert Hospital in Paterson for more than three decades, while also serving her community as a Sunday school teacher at Jacksonville Chapel, a Girl Scout troop leader, a volunteer nurse on mission trips to Jamaica, and a host for exchange students.
After retiring from Barnert Hospital, she moved to Scarborough in 2006 and continued to work as a nurse at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House until retirement. Her life was dedicated to serving her family, friends, community, and God.
She is survived by her children, Jennifer Forsley of Scarborough, Elisabeth Van Duyne of Middlebury, Vt., and David Van Duyne of Portland; her grandchildren Theodore, Annabelle, Harlan, and Calvin; and her siblings Meg, Susan, Tom, and Sarah.
