Robert J. Jenkins, 94, of Nashua, NH, formerly of Lowell and Melrose, MA, passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, May 21, 2022 at Aynsley Place in Nashua.
Born in Lowell on April 25, 1928, he was a son of the late Andrew C. and Anne (Lowney) Jenkins. Bob attended Lowell schools and was a graduate of Keith Academy. He furthered his education at Wentworth Institute and Northeastern University, where he earned degrees in Electrical Engineering. During the Korean War, Mr. Jenkins served with the Army Signals Corp.
Bob began his career with General Electric in Schenectady, NY; was an Aerospace Engineer for the US Government Research Staff at Wentworth Institute and Northeastern University. He continued with the Air Force Cambridge Research Center in Bedford, MA and Geophysics Corporation of America in Burlington, MA all the while conducting research in the upper atmosphere under Government contracts. During these years of employment, Bob’s responsibilities involved much travel to missile launching and observational sites at White Sands and Holloman Air
Force base in New Mexico, Wallops, VA and in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
An accomplished photographer, Bob both designed and modified military cameras for use in upper atmospheric studies. On October 4, 1957, he was part of a team to be the first in New England to successfully track and photograph the Russian satellite, Sputnik I. During the latter part of his career, he was employed as a marketing engineer for Scully Electronics of Wilmington, MA.
Mr. Jenkins was a communicant of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Nashua. He was very active during his adult life serving on church committees, Habitat programs and as a trustee for Austin Preparatory School in Reading, MA. After his retirement, Bob devoted much of his time to using his computer skills while volunteering over 15 years at Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua and over 20 years at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.
Bob met the Love of his life, Patricia I. Haire of Malden, MA at Wells Beach, Maine and were married on Valentine’s Day in 1953. The couple made their home in Melrose, MA where they raised their family and spent 32 wonderful years while continuing to Summer at their home in Wells Beach. Bob and Pat moved to Nashua in 1987. Patricia passed away on January 27, 2021 after sharing 68 wonderful years of marriage.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff of Aynsley Place for all their care and compassion they gave to Bob and his family.
Members of his family include four children and their spouses, Bob and Janet Jenkins of Southbridge, MA, Paula and Don Humen of Nashua, NH, Greg and Cindi Jenkins of Ashland, NH and Andrea and Mark Drugan of Salem, NH; nine grandchildren, Gregory Jenkins and his wife Natali, Julie Jenkins, Aubrey Bridges and her husband Beau, Daniel Jenkins and his wife Stephanie, Molly Corbett and her husband Gary, Michael Jenkins and his wife Allison, Laura Humen, Bobby Humen and his wife Lilly and Phoebe Jenkins; five great-grandchildren, Griffin, Avery, Nora, Emerson and Niall, with two more on the way; a sister, Gail Jenkins of Nashua; sister-in-law, Renie Alie of Hampton, NH; also many nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his wife and parents, Bob was also predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law, Andrew C. and Franny Jenkins.
Donations may be made in his memory to the Marginal Way Preservation Fund, PO Box 1455, Ogunquit, ME 03907 or online @marginalwayfund.org or the Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 or online @dav.org.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Joseph the Worker Church, 777 West Hollis Street, Nashua Friday, May 27th at 9:30 a.m. Interment will follow in St. Louis Cemetery. Friends are invited to attend and will gather at the church. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.farwellfuneralservice.com Arrangements are in the care of the FARWELL FUNERAL SERVICE, 18 Lock Street, Nashua.
