Thomas Penland

Leonard Penland

Asheville – Thomas Leonard Penland, 78, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 11, 2019 at the Memorial Campus at Mission Hospital.

Leonard was a Buncombe County native and the son of the late Cash Walter Penland and Kathleen Eplee Penland. In addition to his parents he was also preceded in death by a son, Marion C. Penland; daughter-in-law, Kristy Penland; and seven brothers and sisters. Leonard was a well known “gas station man”, having been employed by Savings Gas for 5 years. Many knew him as “the Lance Cracker Man” as he worked for Lance for ten years, as well has having owned and operated his own firewood business in Candler for over fifty years.

Leonard is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gayle Thomas Penland of Candler; two daughters, Shirley Smith (Danny) of Candler and Becky Holland (Todd) of Claremont; one son, Glenn Penland, of Swannanoa; two sisters, Sudie Kates of Waynesville and Grace Miller of Belmont, WA; two brothers, Wallace Penland of Howard PA, and Douglas Penland of Candler; six grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren with another on the way; and one great-great-granddaughter.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday November 14, 2019 at the Forest Lawn Mausoleum Chapel of Faith of Candler. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends and loved ones prior to the service from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the chapel.

Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to Mt. Moriah Wesleyan Church, 1 Fairmont Road, Candler NC 28715.