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Michael Hugh Pennington, age 74 of Monticello, passed away Saturday, September 26, 2026, at his home in Monticello, AR. He was born May 3, 1952, in Monticello, AR to Hugh Warden Pennington and Robbie Christine Rodgers Pennington.
In addition to his father, he was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Lloyd Ervin and Lelia Mae Goyne Rodgers and Charles Leonard and Susie Warden Wilson Pennington.
Mike grew up in the New Hope Community and attended the Drew Central School District where he graduated in 1970. While in high school, he played basketball, served as a class officer, Student Council President, and was Mr. Drew Central High School. He attended Arkansas A & M College, later UAM for three years majoring in economics and marketing and was Freshman Class President. Mike was a member of First United Methodist Church in Monticello.
In the summer of 1973 Mike went to work for Georgia Pacific as a Woodsman and in 1978 he was promoted to a timber procurement position in Crossett which he held for three years. In 1981, he began working for J.P. Price Lumber Company as a procurement forester utilizing his experience he gained at GP and his job there included timber buying, forest management, GPS applications, and working with individual landowners. While working at Price’s, he became a Vice President and a Registered Professional Forester in Arkansas. After twenty-seven years at Price’s, he left in 2008 and entered logging, becoming the President of longtime Arkansas logging firm, L.D. Long, Inc. He never did run much logging equipment; he played to his strength - timber procurement. With his background, cruising and purchasing timber were some of his strong points.
Besides working, Mike was heavily involved in supporting the community and the state. He served as a board member for the associations Arkansas Forestry Association, Arkansas Timber Producers Association, and Drew County Farm Bureau. He advanced the goals of the Arkansas Pro Logger training program and helped to build and sustain through activism and leadership a political and economic climate in which the forestry industry could survive. In addition, he was a school board member of the Drew Central School District from 1987- 2021.
Mike enthusiastically advocated for the Arkansas Log a Load for Kids Program and was a founding member of the Drew County Log a Load for Kids which began with just a few loggers in 1993. He devoted endless hours to the program helping to raise over $2.2 million dollars.
Throughout the years, Mike received numerous awards. While working at J.P. Price Lumber Company, Arkansas Timber Producers Association honored him as Forester of the Year. In 2005, he traveled to California to accept the National Log a Load for Kids Volunteer Award.
By showing his exceptional support of the Drew Central athletic program, the football stadium was dedicated to him in 2008 and became known as the Mike Pennington Stadium. AFA presented Mike with the Outstanding Log a Load for Kids Volunteer Award in 2011. In 2013, he was given the Drew Central Hall of Fame Award in recognition as an exemplary graduate of the Drew Central School District. For significant contributions and meritorious service to the public schools of our state, the Arkansas School Boards Association paid special tribute to Mike by bestowing upon him the honor of its twenty-sixth annual Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award for outstanding service to public Education in 2018. In addition, Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce recognized him as the 2021 Man of the Year. Last, but not least, the Arkansas Forestry Association presented its first ever Lifetime Achievement award to Mike at their annual meeting in 2025.
Mike’s passions were elk hunting, cooking for large crowds, and mowing. Starting in 1989 and continuing for over thirty years, Mike and some friends and relatives traveled to the same lodge on the Rio Grande in Colorado. He loved the mountains and the friends he made while there. He wasn’t much of a home cook, but he certainly enjoyed cooking his famous fish fry which not only included fried catfish, hush puppies, french fries, but biscuits with honey. Mr. Mike’s baked beans are known throughout his family and the community. People at family reunions, his places of employment, Drew Central’s end of year staff celebration and the basketball hospitality room all thoroughly appreciated his cooking. Mowing seemed to satisfy and relax Mike and there was only one way to mow and that was Mike’s way. When he climbed on his Kubota mower, there was no stopping him from mowing yards, such as neighbor’s, relatives’, and company land.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Susan Lee Pennington of Monticello, two daughters, Michelle Pennington of Monticello and Laura Hartley and husband Cody of Chesapeake, VA, four grandchildren, Grace, Asher, Liam, and Harper of Forney, TX who called him Papa, PopPop or Babby, mother, Christine Pennington of Monticello, sister, Gayle York and husband Roy of Monticello, two loving cats, Eve and Stormi, three granddogs, Maggie, Lily, and Monkey and one grandcat, Emmy of Chesapeake, VA.
Memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Drew Central Earl Willis Auditorium in Monticello, Arkansas. A private family burial will be held in Green Hill Cemetery in Green Hill, Arkansas. Serving as pallbearers are Mark Addison, Jason Allison, David Ball, Alan Bickford, Reggie Goodman, and Aaron Tooke. Honorary pallbearer is Tommy Robbins.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Home Care, 989 Hwy 425, Monticello, AR 71655; Drew County Log a Load for Kids, PO Box 702, Monticello, AR 71657; Drew Central Foundation Fund, and Green Hill Cemetery.
In addition to his father, he was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Lloyd Ervin and Lelia Mae Goyne Rodgers and Charles Leonard and Susie Warden Wilson Pennington.
Mike grew up in the New Hope Community and attended the Drew Central School District where he graduated in 1970. While in high school, he played basketball, served as a class officer, Student Council President, and was Mr. Drew Central High School. He attended Arkansas A & M College, later UAM for three years majoring in economics and marketing and was Freshman Class President. Mike was a member of First United Methodist Church in Monticello.
In the summer of 1973 Mike went to work for Georgia Pacific as a Woodsman and in 1978 he was promoted to a timber procurement position in Crossett which he held for three years. In 1981, he began working for J.P. Price Lumber Company as a procurement forester utilizing his experience he gained at GP and his job there included timber buying, forest management, GPS applications, and working with individual landowners. While working at Price’s, he became a Vice President and a Registered Professional Forester in Arkansas. After twenty-seven years at Price’s, he left in 2008 and entered logging, becoming the President of longtime Arkansas logging firm, L.D. Long, Inc. He never did run much logging equipment; he played to his strength - timber procurement. With his background, cruising and purchasing timber were some of his strong points.
Besides working, Mike was heavily involved in supporting the community and the state. He served as a board member for the associations Arkansas Forestry Association, Arkansas Timber Producers Association, and Drew County Farm Bureau. He advanced the goals of the Arkansas Pro Logger training program and helped to build and sustain through activism and leadership a political and economic climate in which the forestry industry could survive. In addition, he was a school board member of the Drew Central School District from 1987- 2021.
Mike enthusiastically advocated for the Arkansas Log a Load for Kids Program and was a founding member of the Drew County Log a Load for Kids which began with just a few loggers in 1993. He devoted endless hours to the program helping to raise over $2.2 million dollars.
Throughout the years, Mike received numerous awards. While working at J.P. Price Lumber Company, Arkansas Timber Producers Association honored him as Forester of the Year. In 2005, he traveled to California to accept the National Log a Load for Kids Volunteer Award.
By showing his exceptional support of the Drew Central athletic program, the football stadium was dedicated to him in 2008 and became known as the Mike Pennington Stadium. AFA presented Mike with the Outstanding Log a Load for Kids Volunteer Award in 2011. In 2013, he was given the Drew Central Hall of Fame Award in recognition as an exemplary graduate of the Drew Central School District. For significant contributions and meritorious service to the public schools of our state, the Arkansas School Boards Association paid special tribute to Mike by bestowing upon him the honor of its twenty-sixth annual Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award for outstanding service to public Education in 2018. In addition, Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce recognized him as the 2021 Man of the Year. Last, but not least, the Arkansas Forestry Association presented its first ever Lifetime Achievement award to Mike at their annual meeting in 2025.
Mike’s passions were elk hunting, cooking for large crowds, and mowing. Starting in 1989 and continuing for over thirty years, Mike and some friends and relatives traveled to the same lodge on the Rio Grande in Colorado. He loved the mountains and the friends he made while there. He wasn’t much of a home cook, but he certainly enjoyed cooking his famous fish fry which not only included fried catfish, hush puppies, french fries, but biscuits with honey. Mr. Mike’s baked beans are known throughout his family and the community. People at family reunions, his places of employment, Drew Central’s end of year staff celebration and the basketball hospitality room all thoroughly appreciated his cooking. Mowing seemed to satisfy and relax Mike and there was only one way to mow and that was Mike’s way. When he climbed on his Kubota mower, there was no stopping him from mowing yards, such as neighbor’s, relatives’, and company land.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Susan Lee Pennington of Monticello, two daughters, Michelle Pennington of Monticello and Laura Hartley and husband Cody of Chesapeake, VA, four grandchildren, Grace, Asher, Liam, and Harper of Forney, TX who called him Papa, PopPop or Babby, mother, Christine Pennington of Monticello, sister, Gayle York and husband Roy of Monticello, two loving cats, Eve and Stormi, three granddogs, Maggie, Lily, and Monkey and one grandcat, Emmy of Chesapeake, VA.
Memorial service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Drew Central Earl Willis Auditorium in Monticello, Arkansas. A private family burial will be held in Green Hill Cemetery in Green Hill, Arkansas. Serving as pallbearers are Mark Addison, Jason Allison, David Ball, Alan Bickford, Reggie Goodman, and Aaron Tooke. Honorary pallbearer is Tommy Robbins.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Home Care, 989 Hwy 425, Monticello, AR 71655; Drew County Log a Load for Kids, PO Box 702, Monticello, AR 71657; Drew Central Foundation Fund, and Green Hill Cemetery.