Dr. Christopher F. Penka

Dr. Christopher F. Penka (74) passed away in Salt Lake City, UT on March 12, 2024 after a long struggle with dementia and associated illness. While we are saddened to lose him, we hope he has found peace and rest from his suffering.

Dr. Penka was born in Ohio in 1949 to Dr. Ernest and Selena Penka and he had one younger sibling, his brother Thomas. His family moved to Southern California and he graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles, CA in 1967 and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Following in his father’s footsteps, Dr. Penka pursued a medical degree, graduating from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico in 1977. While in Mexico, he met his wife, Soledad, who he married in 1979. He and Soledad came to the USA where he continued his training, first in Detroit, MI, and then at the University of Utah for his residency in Neurological Surgery. During their time in Utah, Dr. Penka and Soledad had their two children, Corinne and Christopher. Dr. Penka worked as a private practice neurosurgeon for over twenty years, first in Las Cruces, NM then in Ogden, UT at McKay Dee Hospital. He was dedicated to his profession and was an incredibly intelligent and talented surgeon. He provided for his family and, while he’d try to hide it, he was a goofball and did not shy away from being silly outside of the operating room.

Dr. Penka was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. His memory will live on in his immediate and extended family: his wife, Soledad, his children, Corinne and Christopher, his son-in-law and daughter-in-law, Matt and Olivia, and his grandchildren, Semalu, Marisol, and Strider.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 25, 2024 at 11:00 AM, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 2315 E Redondo Ave, Salt Lake City. He will be laid to rest following Mass at, Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 275 U St. Salt Lake City.