Verna Jennie Glasgow

She passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 13, 2023, at her home in Sandy Springs, GA. She is survived by her beloved family; brother James (wife Carol) Jensen, two children, Lezlie (husband Larry) Zessack and Jeffrey Glasgow, granddaughter Jessica (husband Matt) Jones, two great-grandsons Bryson and Colton Jones and step-great-grandson Hunter Robinson.

Jennie resided in Atlanta (Sandy Springs) Georgia since 1969 and devoted over 40 years to highway traffic safety as a volunteer. Actively involved in her community, she was the president and owner of Jenco Enterprises, a public relations and consulting firm, started in 1976. She served on numerous boards and committees locally, statewide, and nationally, and was the recipient of countless awards, citations and commendations for her volunteer work in traffic safety and community service, including the prestigious “World Traffic Safety Award” received in 2000 at the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association and the “Safety Champion Award” from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2009.

A dedicated and active member of the National Association of Women Highway Safety Leaders, Inc. (NAWHSL), she served as the Georgia governor’s appointee as state representative since 1983, having been successively appointed in this capacity by five governors.

In 1969, Jennie started the “Bee a Buckler” Safety Program with her Girl Scout Troop to encourage their use of safety belts. The program expanded to include the use of child safety seats in the late 1970's and the use of booster seats in the 1980's. The “Bee a Buckler” program is recognized as the “first occupant safety volunteer program in the nation” by the U. S. Department of Transportation and has received numerous citations for its pioneering efforts. Since its inception, “Bee a Buckler” programs have been initiated across the nation and in five other countries. Jennie assisted schools and communities in establishing their own “Bee a Buckler” educational programs and never charged for her services.

In addition to her volunteer activities, she was the state coordinator for Georgia Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to eliminating highway-rail grade crossing collisions, fatalities and injuries, and trespassing incidents on railroad tracks and rights-of-way. She had been involved since the program’s inception in 1974, having first served as a volunteer educational presenter for 14 years, and since 1988 as the full-time state coordinator for Georgia.

Jennie’s extensive volunteer work also earned her the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch on Roswell Road, Sandy Springs for the 1996 games.

The family will be planning a Celebration of Life for Jennie at a later date as she wished to be buried at Rosendale cemetery in Minnesota next to her mother Elizabeth “GiGi” and her sister Ellie.