Trevor Jonathan Pannell died peacefully at Moffitt Cancer Center on July 7, 2023, after a hard-fought battle with esophageal cancer. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by the love and support of his family and the staff at Moffitt Cancer Center. Trevor was born in Southgate, Middlesex, England on July 5, 1948.
He worked for many years at Raytheon and then at Seminole Electric Cooperative in Tampa, FL. Trevor’s proudest accomplishment while working at Seminole was project managing the installation of the peaking units at the Payne Creek Power Plant in Palatka, FL. He retired in 2010.
Trevor was an Engineer through and through….His ability to fix anything was unsurpassed. As a child, Trevor loved to discover how things worked and would take apart clocks and electronics and put them back together again. He knew early in life that engineering was his chosen career and attended Carshalton College, south of London, while working as an Electrical Engineer.
In one of his first jobs, Trevor’s talent for technical drawing was clearly evident. He was so adept that his new boss quickly recognized his talent. Trevor came home from work and reported proudly that his boss had been so impressed with his work that there was nothing for him to teach Trevor - not even how to hold the pencil properly!
At that same job, WS Atkins & Partners, another of Trevor’s talents became known - his music. Trevor was asked to perform at the company’s annual dinner held at the world-famous London Park Lane hotel, The Dorchester. He played his guitar and sang a medley of hits. Trevor loved to play the guitar and was self-taught. He enjoyed playing with his son, Ian, such favorites as “House of the Rising Sun”.
Trevor met the love of his life, Janet, on his 21st birthday while vacationing in Tunisia. They fell for each other immediately and married just 14 months later. They spent 54 very happy years together. After Trevor’s retirement, they enjoyed taking cruises together to warm, tropical climates.
Trevor, Janet, and their children (Helen and Ian) emigrated from the UK to the US in 1982 and lived in multiple states before settling in Tampa, Florida, where he and Janet lived for 33 years. They were especially proud of obtaining their US citizenship in 2018.
Trevor had an unwavering fondness of Baked Beans, preferably served on white toast. Proper English sausages were another of his favorite foods. His idea of a perfect evening was dinner with his family at Longhorn Steakhouse.
Trevor is survived by his Wife, Janet, his brother, David, his daughter Helen Harmon (son-in-law, Jeff), his son, Ian (daughter-in-law, Heather Pannell), and his beloved grandchildren, Madison, Trenton, and Emily. He is preceded in death by his parents Wilfred and Barbara (Sturdy) Pannell.
At Trevor’s request, the family will not hold a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Moffitt Cancer Center in Trevor’s name.
Comments