February 5, 1999

John B. "Jack" Penney Jr., MD, a neurologist at the MGH, and a world-renowned researcher in Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, died suddenly of a heart attack Jan. 31 at the age of 51.

Penney and his wife, Anne Young, MD, PhD, MGH chief of Neurology, revolutionized the understanding of the brain and how it fails in certain movement disorders.

"Jack's death has put a hole in our hearts," said John Growdon, MD, director of the MGH Movement Disorders Unit, who worked closely with Penney. "We will miss him personally and professionally."

One of Penney's most recent accomplishments was organizing and directing the new MGH/MIT Parkinson's Disease Research Center, which was one of three such centers in the nation funded last year by the National Institutes of Health.

Penney's involvement for the past 18 years in the U.S.-Venezuela Collaborative Huntington's Disease Project led to the eventual cloning of the gene that causes the disease, accomplished at the MGH in 1993. His studies in understanding the basal ganglia and the circuitry of the brain have led to new therapies for Parkinson's.

"Despite being a well-known and well-respected researcher and investigator, Jack always made sure that he spent whatever time his patients needed to provide his special kind of outstanding care," said Growdon. "He showed great concern for their well-being, and he was truly committed to being an excellent doctor."

Jang-Ho Cha, MD, PhD, a trainee and colleague of Penney's said: "Dr. Penney was a brilliant guy, very modest and retiring, and he had a fabulous sense of humor. His lab was always warm and welcoming – like a big family."

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Penney earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, trained in neurology at the University of California, San Francisco and was a professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine before coming to the MGH in 1991.

He was the father of two daughters, Jessica and Ellen. A memorial service is planned for May. Contributions can be sent to the John B. Penney Jr. Memorial Fund for Research on Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases, Department of Neurology, VBK 915, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114.