John Joseph Jenkins

John Joseph Jenkins, 86, of Sun City/Bluffton, SC, died on December 9, 2009 at his residence. John was born in Salix, Iowa on April 27, 1923, the son of John J. Jenkins, Sr. and Mary Celeste Kuhn. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945, participating in four major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge. Upon discharge, John entered Marquette University as a sophomore and graduated in 1948 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He also attended De Paul University School of Law. In 1951, John joined Standard Oil as an electrical construction engineer, stationed first in Colombia and then in Peru. Later, he embarked on a 25-year career with a Dutch multinational packaging firm, Van Leer, where he held various positions, including President of Western Hemisphere operations before retiring in 1982.In 1952, John married Lyll Becerra Breton in Colombia. The early years of their marriage were spent in Colombia and in Talara, Peru with their five young children. In 1964, they moved to New Canaan, Conn., where they made their home for many years. John and his family were members of The Lake Club and Saint Aloysius parish. The couple moved to coastal South Carolina in 1988. Lyll died in 1997.In January 1999, John married Mary Patricia Jenkins. For more than 10 years, they lived happily on Fripp Island and in Bluffton, SC.John was an active sportsman, variously pursuing surf and deep-sea fishing, boating, skiing, and tennis. He was widely traveled and well-read. John was devoted above all to his family and his faith. He will be fondly remembered for his sense of humor, keen intellect, and abiding generosity. He faced life with an uncommon optimism. His resilience in the face of difficulties was perhaps his most admirable and signature characteristic. John is survived by his devoted wife, Mary Patricia; his children, Arya-Francesca of Fort Lee, NJ; Marcella Maria of Warwick, RI; William Vincent Paul of Kalamazoo, Mich.; Alexandra Jane and her husband, Ted Reed, of Charlotte, NC; his daughter-in-law, Mariana Vera Fierro of Coyhaique, Chile; and his stepchildren, John Jay Walsh of Beaufort, SC and Mary Smith of Forked River, NJ. John was preceded in death by his first wife, Lyll, and his son, John Joseph Louis. He also leaves five grandchildren: Teresa, Gabriela, and Chad Joseph Reed of Charlotte, NC; and Talara and John Joseph Jenkins, Jr. of Coyhaique, Chile as well as five step-grandchildren.A memorial Mass will be offered at Saint Gregory the Great Church in Bluffton, SC on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Arrangements will be handled by Sauls Funeral Home in Bluffton, SC and Hoyt Funeral Home in New Canaan, Conn.