Thea Jeeninga Pontow

Thea Lorainne Jeeninga Pontow, 83, passed away on September 5, 2026. She was someone who spent her life showing up for the people around her. She worked hard, loved deeply, and had warmth about her that made it easy to feel at home in her presence. She never met a stranger and always seemed to have a kind word, a smile, or time for a conversation.

Thea was born in Chicago, Illinois, and moved to Woodstock, Illinois, when she was 11. She grew up working in her parents’ bakery, where she learned early the value of hard work and responsibility, qualities that stayed with her throughout her life. Her three children, Terry, David, and Danielle, meant the world to her.

In 1996, Thea and Herb moved to Maryland. She worked for US Vinyl in Forestville before finding a place she truly loved at Grace Brethren Church. For many years, she worked alongside Pastor Wagner and the church staff, and her work there became much more than a job. Her faith was at the center of her life, and she genuinely loved sharing what Christ meant to her. Family and friends often turned to her with questions about faith and the Bible, knowing they could count on her for thoughtful guidance, encouragement, and prayer.

Thea had a gentle way about her that made people feel comfortable and cared for. She listened. She remembered. She made people feel welcome. And no matter what was happening in her own life, she could always be counted on to keep going and to be there when someone needed her.

When she wasn’t working or at church, Thea loved being outside in the sunshine. During the summer, she could usually be found tending to her flower beds or enjoying time by the pool. And no family gathering was quite complete without her Watergate salad, which became one of those family traditions everyone simply expected to see on the table.

Thea especially treasured being a grandmother to Kimberly and Brian Volz, Jase Gentry, and Thea Sloan, and a great-grandmother to her three great-grandchildren. Her family was one of the greatest joys of her life.

Thea leaves behind a legacy that is difficult to sum up in a few words. It can be found in the way she loved her family, the faith she lived every day, the people she welcomed into her life, and the example she set simply by the way she lived. Those who loved her will carry those pieces of her with them.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 23, 2026 from 3:00 p.m.  until 3:30 p.m. in the Calvert Grace Community Church, Owings, MD. A Celebration of Thea’s Life Service will start at 3:30 p.m., followed by a meal in the church gym.