Bobbie Jo Jenkins

Bobbie Jo Jenkins was born on March 18, 1974 in Glendale, Arizona. She passed away suddenly and very unexpectedly on December 26, 2015. She is survived by her parents, JoDell Jenkins and Albert Jenkins, stepmother Linda Jenkins, and two brothers, Casey (Khiet) and Scott Jenkins. She is also survived by her loving grandmothers, Margorie Jenkins and Jackie Blackshire, along with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. We will all miss her very much. Her passing leaves a giant hole in our lives that nothing will ever fill. Our comfort is that we will see her again in heaven and that she is safe now in the arms of our precious Lord.

Bobbie loved baking and doing crafts. She had an extensive collection of recipes and often catered for friends and family members’ parties, showers and weddings. She made some incredible cakes and pastries that always tasted as good as they looked. Her dream was to someday open a little bakery and sandwich shop in a quaint little old house. She would always talk about it and sometimes point out old houses or shops that she especially liked. Tragically, she did not live to see this dream fulfilled.

She attended Barcelona Elementary School from kindergarten to eighth grade, and had many dear friends that she knew and still kept in touch with. Bobbie attended Alhambra High School and graduated in 1992. She was a member of the National Honor Society. She was on the high school volleyball team.

After high school, Bobbie worked in a variety of jobs. She eventually started working for Adams Bros Interiors, which was where she found her niche. She worked in the office doing scheduling and office work. When the business was bought out, she immediately found a job with Canopy Construction doing very similar work. After a time, they offered her a promotion, which meant she had to move to the main office in Dallas, TX. The move was extremely hard for her, as she was so close to her family in Arizona. She would call home daily to talk and was very homesick for a long while, but she eventually got a roommate and a nice place to live, and she settled in to her new life there. Then that business started having trouble and she had to look for another job.

She moved back to Phoenix after two years in Dallas, and began working for Heritage Interiors, doing much the same job as she had done for Adams Bros. She was at home immediately with the job and the people she worked with. We were all so glad to have her back with us again.

Bobbie grew up with a strong western influence from her beloved dad and stepmom Linda in Colorado, with whom she spent summers and many holidays. She had a horse from the time she was very young, and loved to ride. She liked country and western music, and was most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt out in the countryside or up in the mountains. She always said she had a great childhood, so happy and carefree.

She adored her two brothers, Casey and Scott. She was so proud of them and kept in close touch with them. Even though they did not grow up together for the most part, they had a special bond. She talked about them all the time, telling us about their accomplishments and what they were up to. She also loved her sister-in-law Khiet.

From me (her mother), Bobbie developed an interest in all things Irish. She wanted so much to go to Ireland. We took an Irish language class together and enjoyed practicing with each other. She also liked Irish music and was particularly fond of Celtic Thunder and Celtic Woman. She often attended events at the Irish Cultural Center with me. We were very close as both mother and daughter and as friends. We had the same sense of humor and enjoyed so many of the same things.

Bobbie’s aunts Becky, Christie and Julie were more like big sisters to her. She cherished her family, and all the treasured family get-togethers. She especially liked holidays when we would all gather and eat and laugh. One of her favorite things was for us all to go up to Aunt Becky’s cabin in Payson and spend time together playing games, and just being there.

This past year had been a time of renewing or forming family relationships. We had visits from cousins we had not seen in years, or ever. Then we were able to take a two week trip to Oregon and Washington in September to visit family there. We met cousins we had never met before and had a wonderful time visiting our very much loved family there. Bobbie had a special affection for her great aunts Paula Scheel and Carla Albertson, who are both phenomenal cooks. She learned a lot of her baking skills from her aunt Paula.

Bobbie had not been feeling well on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On December 26, she woke up early and said she wanted to go to the emergency room. As we were getting ready to go, she collapsed and stopped breathing. It was a total shock to all of us. It still is hard to comprehend how someone so strong and full of life can be here one moment and then gone forever.

Bobbie did so many things for so many people that it would be impossible to list them here. I hope you know who you are and how much she cared about the people in her all too brief life. She was a special person, our sweet, funny girl, and she will be missed more than I can say.