Penelope Victoria Padden ’82

Penelope Victoria Padden ’82 of Rockland, Me., formerly of Barrington, R.I., and San Francisco; Dec. 8, of cancer. She was professionally certified as an emergency medical technician, a paramedic certified in pre-hospital trauma life support, and a consummate professional caregiver to many, including her father, Brown Professor Emeritus of History Robert C. Padden. She received commendations from Covenant Aviation and the U.S. Transportation and Security Administration after saving the life of a traveler who suffered cardiac arrest while passing through a security checkpoint at San Francisco International Airport. She designed and led outreach programs for St. Anthony’s Foundation, a comprehensive service provider offering spiritual, emotional, and physical support to people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty. She opened and staffed the Living Room, a free drop-in activity center that became a highly regarded community hub in the Tenderloin, a diverse and historically underserved neighborhood in San Francisco. She was an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and spearheaded district-wide efforts to adopt inclusive special needs and accessibility protocols across San Francisco and neighboring Marin County. She was an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association of Maine, lobbying at the state level to establish paid leave for family members caring for afflicted loved ones. She was a gifted artist and musician. As a clarinetist, she performed regularly in regional ensembles across Southern New England. Her visual art received several awards and she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art, incorporating coursework at Rhode Island School of Design that facilitated her specialization in linocut and woodblock printmaking. She received the highly coveted Harvard Prize Book Award for academic excellence and artistic achievement. She is survived by her sister Lorraine Adele Padden ’88.