Pauline "Penny" (Kremen) Himlan

Pauline Iris Himlan, known lovingly to family and friends as Penny, passed away on June 20, 2026, in Leominster, Massachusetts, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on January 27, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York, and lived a life defined by intelligence, courage, and selfless caring of others.

Penny was the beloved wife of Edward Himlan, the cherished daughter of the late Louis Kremen and Millie Kremen, and the sister of Deborah Greenberg and Michelle Krampert. She was a devoted mother to Jonathan Himlan and Benjamin Himlan-Murrin, and a proud grandmother to Alexander Himlan, Luke Himlan-Murrin, and Will Himlan-Murrin. Her family was central to her, and she gave them her love, her wisdom, and her steady strength in ways that will continue to guide them for the rest of their lives.

Penny pursued her education in nursing at Northeastern University, where she prepared for a calling that would become one of the great purposes of her life. She became a Nurse Practitioner and spent the last twenty-five years of her professional career caring for people with HIV and AIDS at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. In that work, she showed up with skill, compassion, and an unshakable commitment to human dignity.

Her life was not confined to her profession, because Penny was a woman who believed in living fully and with purpose. She was engaged in many activities, including political activism, where she used her voice to stand for what she believed was right. She was also a painter, expressing her spirit through color, creativity, and imagination. As an avid gardener, she found joy in nurturing growth and beauty, and she brought that same patient care to the people and causes she loved. Her involvement in the School of Practical Philosophy reflected her lifelong search for meaning, understanding, and inner strength. She was someone who kept learning, kept questioning, and kept reaching toward a deeper life.

Those who knew Penny will remember her as intelligent, courageous, and selfless, but they will also remember the way those qualities came alive in ordinary moments. She had an amazing energy that filled the room and could speak with clarity and conviction, but she was also skilled in injecting humor and joy into the conversation. She carried herself with a quiet power that inspired others to be braver, kinder, and more truthful. She reminded people that a meaningful life is not built from comfort alone, but from service, integrity, and the willingness to live with courage.

Penny’s legacy is written in the lives she touched, in the patients she comforted, in the family she nurtured, and in the example she set for everyone fortunate enough to know her. She showed that one person can make a profound difference simply by choosing compassion again and again. She leaves behind a family who will carry her memory with pride and gratitude, and a community that is better because she was part of it. 

Though her absence will be deeply felt, her life stands as a powerful testament to what it means to live with purpose. Penny did not merely pass through this world. She changed it. She taught by example that strength can be tender, that service can be heroic, and that love, when lived fully, becomes a lasting force. Her journey may have ended, but the light she brought into the world remains, and it will continue to shine in the hearts of all who loved her.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 13, 2026 in Richardson Funeral Home from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM with a Celebration of Life to follow from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Chocksett Inn, Sterling. Please click the link for more information on Penny's Celebration of Life. https://www.paperlesspost.com/go/kkRkVMduaDk3Jru7p3aAy

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