Carlton Jenkins, Sr.

Carlton Jenkins, Sr., born April 17, 1939 in Littleton, North Carolina, transitioned from earth's sorrow to heaven's joy Friday, May 8, 2020. 

He accepted Christ at an early age at his home church Roanoke Chapel in Littleton, NC. And, after relocating to Dayton, Ohio, he was a faithful member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church for many years, where he served in the choir and the Trustee Ministry including a period as the chairperson.

Carlton graduated from McIver High School, Littleton, North Carolina, Class of 1957, where he was Salutatorian of his class. After high school, he attended North Carolina A&T, where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1961.While at NC A&T, he was active in the ROTC officer training program that offered the opportunity for employment after graduating. Upon leaving North Carolina, he began his next chapter in Dayton, Ohio working at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. It was there he met and married Mary Jean Rucker. To this union was born one child, Carlton Jr.

Mr. Jenkins spent his entire professional career at Wright-Patterson, both as an active military officer, with a brief stint at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana but mostly as a civilian Project Engineer. Some of the major projects he worked on and was most proud of were the C-130 Gunship and the A-10 Thunderbolt II aka “Warthog” (that made its battle debut in the Gulf War and was largely successful). He also continued his military role in the Air Force Reserves reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. During his tenure, outside of his various duties, he was involved in minority recruitment in which he returned to his alma mater NC A&T to help and mentor students interested in pursuing careers in the Air Force and Engineering. Mr. Jenkins retired in March 1993, after over 31 years of dedicated service, at the ripe young age of 53.

Brother Jenkins loved traveling, fishing, watching various sports such as golf, college basketball, college football, television news programs, old movies, westerns, “Perry Mason”, “Matlock”, and “Columbo”, baseball caps, and the color "Red". He was an avid and extremely competitive bid-whist player and would spend long nights engaging in trash talk, all in fun of course. He was known to be very generous and giving, and to be a “straight-shooter”.  Most of all, he loved his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Teat H. and Mattie C. Jenkins, and devoted brothers and sister, Wylie Jenkins, Eric Jenkins, Bertie J. Bridgforth, Herbert H. Jenkins, and Leon Jenkins. Brother Jenkins leaves to cherish his memory, his son, Carlton Jr. (Maria) Jenkins; grandchildren, Carlton Tyler (Genesis) Jenkins and Maya Christina Jenkins; sister, Shirley Dukes; brother, Joe B. Jenkins; great grandchildren, Tyler and Azaria Jenkins; special friends, Alphonso “Al” Jackson, Joyce Hunter, and Charles Williams and a host of relatives and devoted friends. God bless his memory!

I'll Remember You Always

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

Author Unknown

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