Everybody looks forward to a celebration of birth, or their own birthday, but for the Denningers and their daughter, now Whitney Peardon and her new family, they welcome birthday celebrations three-fold.
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The Denninger family has defied the birthday odds. Tom Denninger who is now enjoying his retirement after years of working as a manager for the Co-op grocery store in Lake Cowichan then moving on to Duncan’s Co-op gas station in 2006 was given the gift of his beautiful daughter Whitney on his 34th birthday on July 13, 1993.
The Denningers had two sons in the winter months before Whitney who is the youngest.
“It was very exciting. Tom was hoping for a fish finder, but our daughter was his gift,” joked Tom’s wife Pinder Denninger. “I told him if we had a daughter that was going to be his birthday present, but he also got the fish finder that year, because our son who was five at that time gave it to him still. He was quite excited until he realized that every birthday going forward was going to be null and void, because it was all going to be about her.”
Pinder, who worked as financial advisor with Island Savings for 20 years, is also enjoying retirement. Born in Duncan and raised in Lake Cowichan the couple enjoyed living in Duncan for many years before returning to their home town. Whitney who also has experience working in various credit unions has been living in Comox for nearly 10 years now with her husband Conrad Peardon.
Pinder was present when history repeated itself again and Whitney and Conrad, who met in Comox and have been married for three years, welcomed Oliver James Peardon into the world two weeks earlier than expected this past July 13, which was Whitney’s 30th birthday. The plan was a Greek birthday dinner which Whitney had been looking forward to all day, but life served up a sweet surprise instead.
“It was very emotional,” said Pinder Denninger. “I was so excited, she was a trooper and did an amazing job. Oliver was born at 11:01 p.m. and I was rooting for him to be born on the same day. She was supposed to be going out to dinner, she just had her doctor’s appointment first, and they kept her. Tom joked that this is now Whitney’s payback, and that she too will soon find out what it’s like to give up all her birthdays.”
Pinder Denninger shared that it all hasn’t quite hit Whitney yet, and probably won’t until Oliver’s first birthday in 2024 will most certainly trump Tom’s 65th, and Whitney’s 31st.
“When her next birthday comes around, then it will be all about Oliver,” joked Pinder Denninger. “Tom was all gearing up for a big birthday bash for his 65th, until my daughter and I reminded him that now it will be all about Oliver and his first birthday. You turn 65, and all you get is a pension, big deal.”
According to Google, the odds of three generations of family members sharing the same birthday like this is 1 in 133, 225. The odds certainly to be in this family’s favour, as they win life’s lottery.
Oliver is the Denninger’s fourth grandson with a fifth one expected to enter the world in December. Pinder Denninger shares that she has already made several trips to Comox, since Oliver’s birth. While Oliver will most likely steal the spotlight next July 13, with three birthdays to celebrate it will certainly be a special and fabulous family affair.
“I joke with my sons who both gave us beautiful grandsons, that their sister one-upped them,” said Denninger. “She did it on her birthday.”
