John S. Jenness

John ("Jack") Springsteed Jenness died peacefully on April 8, 2016. He was 93 years old. Born in Boston, MA on March 5, 1923, to Carrie N. and Thornton W. Jenness, Jack was an only child. He attended Rivers School in Newton, MA until entering Dartmouth College (Class of 1944). He enlisted in the US Army Air Corp at age 19 and served until after the end of WWII. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and served in Newfoundland for two years. He then continued in the Air Force Reserves until 1968 when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He received Top Secret Clearance for his work in the Communications Division of the Air Force during WWII.

His enlistment deferred his graduation from Dartmouth until 1947. At Dartmouth, he served as Editor to the Dartmouth Review. He also worked as a Local News and Sports Correspondent for the Associated Press and the Boston Herald in Boston while at Dartmouth. After graduating, he received his MBA from Dartmouth’s Amos Tuck School of Business.

During his later years at Dartmouth, he met and married the love of his life, Lavinia (Vinnie) Ann Bowman in June 1947. They were devoted to each other and married for 64 years. Jack and Vinnie had 3 children and lived in several locations: Hanover, NH; St. Johns, Newfoundland; Naugatuck, CT; Lutherville, MD; Huntington, NY (for 30 years); Fort Pierce, FL; Rye Beach, NH (for 23 years); and finally on Cape Cod.

A devoted father and family provider, Jack had a passion for the Air Force, training and development, politics, stamp collecting and recruiting students for Dartmouth as well as other alumni activities. He served as a Republican Committeeman in Huntington, NY for many years. He was a member of the Dartmouth Alumni Council and served as District Enrollment Director for Long Island for 28 years. In 1981, he received the Dartmouth College Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Throughout his career he held executive level personnel and training positions at Uniroyal, Continental Can Company, ARMA Industries, Levitt and Sons and ConEd in New York City. After retiring from ConEd, he continued working 11 more years as the Chairman of the Boston Institute for Management Studies (IMS).

For over 45 years, he was a member of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), 6 of those years on the Board of Directors and in 1972, he was elected National President of the Society. Jack also was an Adjunct Assistant Professor in business administration at Adelphi University (Long Island) for 24 years and was one of the first professors to conduct classes on the Long Island Railroad for commuters on their way to work in NYC. After retiring to NH in the mid-'80's, Jack also was an Adjunct Instructor of Management for UNH's College for Life-Long Learning until 1997.

Jack and Vinnie loved gardening, especially his vegetable garden and her English garden in Rye Beach. Jack and Vinnie were also very active in the Old First Church in Huntington and the Rye Congregational Church.

Jack's wife Vinnie pre-deceased him and is survived by: sons John Jr. of South Paris, ME and Thornton II of Huntington, NY (and wife Maureen) and daughter Susan Jenness Phillips of Barnstable, MA (and husband David); grandchildren Sarah, Sam, and Cameron Jenness, Karen DelVecchio, Jeffrey and Daniel Phillips; and 6 great-grandchildren; Miles and Elliot Jenness, Mia and Paige DelVecchio, Jake and Hannah Phillips and many nieces, nephews and in-laws.

The funeral and burial will be held on Saturday, June 4th, 2016 at 2 PM at the Rye Congregational Church, Rye, New Hampshire. Pictures of Jack's life and a guest list can be found at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home website, www.nickersonbournefuneralhome.com/. In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to Dartmouth College in Jack's memory.

Jack's family gives special thanks to the Bourne Manor Nursing Home staff and the Brookhaven Hospice workers for the excellent care they gave to their father.

Friends may share condolences and sign the register book online at, www.nickersonbournefuneralhome.com