Colonel William Kenneth Jenkins Sr.

Colonel William Kenneth Jenkins Sr, departed this life on Friday, September 6, 2019. He was born September 10, 1925 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the son of the late Arthur L. Jenkins and Virginia R. White. He was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Jenkins was a Navy Veteran of World War II. In 1948 he graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology, with a BS in Electrical Engineering. In 1950 he joined the Marine Corp. He saw active duty during the Korean War, and was the first black officer to lead Marines in combat, as both a weapons and a rifle platoon commander with Company B, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, which was documented in Life Magazine. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Korean Service Medal. In the mid-fifties, he was the Commanding Officer at the Headquarters Department of the Pacific in San Francisco, California. He married Fannie Mae Langley April 28, 1954 in San Francisco. After he retired from active duty, he joined the Marine Corp Reserves and they moved to Portland, Oregon in 1955. His civic affiliations included the Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association and the American Legion Department of Oregon.

Col. Jenkins was employed for over three decades by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in Portland as a power management contract specialist. He was a very prominent and active member of the Portland community. Education was important to him, and he freely gave of his time to help others improve themselves. He was involved with Marine recruiting for many years. He also tutored blacks to pass both the military and government entrance exams, and helped many prepare for the high school equivalence test (GED). He was involved in both local and national politics, and was a member of the NAACP and the Urban League. Col. Jenkins supported many institutions, including the United Negro College Fund and the African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington DC.

Col. Jenkins loved to write poetry and loved music; Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson were among his favorites. He invited neighborhood children to participate in family activities including the annual Portland Zoo Halloween Spook Rides, the annual Christmas party at BPA, the Fourth of July Picnic at Alpenrose Dairy and Portland Beavers/Maverick baseball games. He spent his last years at RN Villa Care Center where he developed many strong relationships. Known as Mr. Mayor, he loved to play bingo and cards as well as participating in all the activities; he was especially enthusiastic around the holidays, where he was the Center’s annual Santa Claus.

Col. Jenkins is survived by four children: Arthur L. Jenkins, Sr., Andrea Jenkins-Brown (Marvin), William K. Jenkins Jr., all of Portland, Oregon and Karen Jenkins-Johnson (Kevin) of San Rafael, California. He is predeceased by his eldest son Michael E. Jenkins and former wife Fannie Mae Jenkins. He also leaves eight grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.