Penny P. Burnham, 69, Textbook Designer

Penny P. Burnham, a 65-year resident of Southold and Massapequa, passed away on April 4, 2013 at her Southold home after a long fight with lung cancer. She was 69.

Penny was born to Helen (Roeben) and Phillip M. Reinhardt on Dec. 7, 1943, in Mineola, NY.

She graduated from Southold High School in 1961 and went on to further her education by attending the State University at Farmingdale, graduating with an associate degree in advertising art and design. She also attended The New School in New York City for fine arts.

Burnham worked for the McGraw-Hill Publishing Company designing magazines and school textbooks for 34 years. She retired and moved back to Southold in 2007.

She enjoyed designing greeting cards and posters for all occasions. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles. In 1980 she won a nationwide contest run by J&B and became a Grand Master of Rare Crosswords, demonstrating her uncanny puzzle-solving ability. Penny also was an avid book reader and animal lover. Over the years she adopted five older dogs that needed homes.

Burnham is survived by her husband, Charles; brother, Phillip Reinhardt, and her nephew, David Reinhardt, both of East Windsor, NJ; her aunt, Marion Fiedler of Greenport; and her nieces, Valerie Boergesson of Southold and Chrystle Fiedler of Greenport.

A Memorial Celebration of Life was held at her home in Southold on April 13. The Rev. Ben Burns officiated. Interment was at Calverton National Cemetery.

Arrangements were entrusted to DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.
Memorial donations to East End Hospice would be appreciated.