'Captain Mike' Penn passed away peacefully at University Medical Center with family close by his side on July 2, 2024, and is now at peace with his Lord and Savior. Born in October 1975, Mike was a very loving and friendly person with a cheerful nature that transcended the challenges that he faced in life. Independent and self-sufficient, Mike overcame severe burn injuries suffered as a young boy and survived a tragic boating accident at 16 that left him without part of his left leg. None of this slowed him down. As a boy, Mike found ways to create his own fun by building go-carts from old lawn mowers and bicycles from spare parts. There was no such thing as junk! And every dog that Mike ever cared for loved him unconditionally and insisted on being next to him at all times, doing whatever it was that he was doing, even if that meant being on water skis. Growing up in Crown Point, Mike took to the water and learned to live off the land, running crab traps as a teenager, and then rigging boats to skim for shrimp at night. Over the years, Mike always had a job on the water. He was proud of his work as an offshore boat captain, piloting boats as big as 100 tons on the Gulf. A resident of Belle Chasse, Mike's big adventure was when he once captained a vessel from Puerto Rico to Tampa Bay, allowing him to experience parts of the world that he had never seen before. And when the offshore was slow, Mike worked as a swamp tour guide, sharing his love of the bayou and its wildlife with countless others that he was sure to charm. He was spiritually at home on the bayous and lakes, owning several trawl skiffs that he was forever repairing, upgrading and improving. But mostly, they were catching shrimp! His sentimental favorite, the Miss Tracy, was named for his devoted lifelong partner, Tracy Baudoin, who served as his co-captain, rudder and anchor all in one. Mike is survived by Tracy, their son Michael Penn Jr., mother Shirley Penn Perkins, stepson Andrew Guidry, half-sisters Dianne Cherry Mohr, Melinda Cherry Reis, and Tanya and Stephanie Zar; half-brothers Frank Cherry III and Billy Thomassie. He was affectionately known as Paw Paw to Aubree and Andrew Jr. Mike was preceded in death by father Stephen Zar Jr. and half-sisters Sharon Cherry and Annie Zar. The family wishes to extend thanks and gratitude to the staff at University Hospital and Robinson Family Funeral Home for their care, kindness and sympathy. Services may be scheduled at a later date. We will all miss Mike's beautiful smile, his distinctive chuckle, kind heart, and unwavering willingness to share love with everyone he touched. We love you, Michael! For online condolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyfuneralhome. com.