Larry Penner, a transportation manager and historian, was renowned for his extensive letters-to-the-editor covering urban mass transit and local restaurants. Beginning his writing journey in 1969, he penned thousands of letters, with some years totaling 700. His critiques, especially after retirement, focused on the funding of transit infrastructure, often expressing skepticism towards new transit systems. His deep-rooted passion for subways and diners was reflected in his writings, garnering attention and affection from local papers, earning him the nickname 'Penner's Pen.' He passed away at 71 from pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a legacy of outspoken advocacy.
Penner's letters-to-the-editor could be equally playful but were mostly serious, and increasingly pointed after his retirement from the transit agency, when he felt he could speak more freely.
His missives appeared in papers great and small, from New York City tabloids to Queens community weeklies. His wife said in one year alone, he wrote 700 - about two per day.
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