Fire Victim Was Retired Naval Officer

St. Mary's Man Died From Smoke, Burns

A St. Mary's County man killed in a house fire last week was a retired chief petty officer in the Navy who was known for cooking homemade vegetable soup at the Patuxent Moose Lodge, his wife said.

Paul T. Penrod, 68, died Wednesday after a fire ripped through his family's home on Pinto Drive in Hollywood. Investigators said they think the fire started after Penrod fell asleep while smoking.

Judy Penrod, 67, Penrod's wife of nearly 48 years, said neither she nor her two adult sons who lived in the home were there when the fire broke out about 10 a.m. She said her husband had leg problems that made it difficult to walk. Fire officials said he had diabetes and used a walker.

Paul Penrod alerted an alarm company about the fire by activating a device he wore around his neck, said Joe Zurolo, deputy state fire marshal. The alarm company called 911, and operators dispatched emergency personnel to the scene, Zurolo said.

Firefighters found Penrod lying at the top of a staircase on the second floor, Zurolo said. They took him to St. Mary's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Zurolo said.

Firefighters rescued the family dog, a dachshund named Ginger, Judy Penrod said.

Investigators said Penrod died as a result of smoke inhalation and burns. The fire, which was largely contained to a second-floor bedroom, caused $125,000 in damage, he said.

Penrod grew up in Bel Air and moved to Southern Maryland as a mechanic in the Navy when he was an adult, his wife said. He retired from the Navy in 1979 and worked as a manager with DynCorp International and as a government logistics engineer, she said.

The couple had lived in the home on Pinto Drive since 1979, and recently, their sons, Steve, 46, and Jimmy, 41, came to live with them. Penrod is also survived by a daughter, Carolyn, and sister, Sara Harrington. The couple had nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

"He was a wonderful man and well liked by everybody," his wife said.