John W. Jenkins Obituary
On April 29th, we lost our patriarch and beloved father and grandfather to many. John W. Jenkins died peacefully at the home he loved so much along with his family. "Jack" was born on May 10th, 1931, to the late John F. "Bumpy" and Mary Jenkins. He graduated from Gloucester High School, class of 1949, and married the love of his life, Patricia (Doucette), on August 20, 1950, in St. Ann's Church. They remained married for 65 years until her passing in 2015. Together, they raised 12 children of their own, and over the years, countless grandchildren, great grandchildren, and friends filled the Jenkins' home. Jack had a big heart, and there was always room in his house for anyone who was down on their luck. You could always find him at home with a crossword puzzle, as he was a champion speller in the state.
A lifelong resident of Gloucester, Jack early on received his electronics license and worked for N.S. Automotive, repairing TV's and radios. He became a reserve patrolman in the Gloucester Police Department in 1960, and became a regular duty officer in 1963, where he remained until his retirement in 1993, reaching the rank of lieutenant. He was very proud of earning his Bachelors Degree, in Criminal Justice in his fifties while an officer. As a family, we are very proud of "Lieutenant Dad" being so admired and respected by his peers in the department. Jack was also a lifetime member of the Gloucester Elks.
After retirement, Jack loved being at home with his family. We will always remember his face beaming every time a new grandchild was brought to the house (which happened frequently!). He relished relaxing at home and listening to the usual stories flying around at any household party... he LOVED his family. We will never forget his usual catchphrases: "Whatever" and "You didn't have to save the good stuff for me!" will be repeated for as long as the Jenkins family is around. Jack also loved to help anyone who needed it, as he was a "jack" of all trades. If you needed help building a deck, retiling a shower, or getting one of his coveted rocking horses that he built for his grandchildren, you could always count on him to be there for you. He had a very giving heart, and it will be missed greatly.
He is survived by a sister, Dorothy Noseworthy, and a sister-in-law, Joan Lindberg, along with his children, daughter Maureen Klopotoski and her husband Rob, son Jack Jr. and his wife Debbie, son Mark and his partner Jean Pratt, son Paul, daughter Davya and her partner Ed Krikorian, son Rusty and his fiancé Christine Krupa, son Peter, and daughter Allyson and her husband Steve Murray, along with daughter-in-law Sharon, along with 18 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Patricia, brother Robert, sons Kenneth, Phillip, Thomas, and Matthew; daughters-in-law Maureen, Jane, and Ellie, and grandchildren Chris Jenkins and Treasa Sheehan.
Visiting hours will be held in the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington St. Gloucester on Wednesday, May 4 from 5-7 p.m. Family and friends are cordially invited. His service will be held in the Greely Funeral Home on Thursday, May 5 at 11:30 a.m. and followed by his burial in Calvary Cemetery, Gloucester. In lieu of gifts or flowers, donations may be made to: St. Jude's Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, TN 38101 or http://www.stjude.org or to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St. Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or http://www.caredimensions.org who the family cannot thank enough for the care they gave "Grandfather" at his home. They allowed Dad to pass peacefully in his home, and we thank them greatly. We also would like to give special thanks to his daughter Allyson and son Peter for going above and beyond to make sure that Dad spent his last weeks in the place he loved.
