Gordon Jenkins

Gordon Eugene Jenkins, age 96 of Westminster died on Monday, January 13, 2025, at Carroll Hospital Center. He was the son of the late Luther F. Jenkins and Connie Estelle (Thigpen) Jenkins, husband of the late Maragaret "Peggy" Jenkins, father of the late Gordon Eugene Jenkins, Jr., and grandfather of the late Katerina. Gordon is survived by his children, John Anthony Jenkins, Sarah Elizabeth Stevens (Tom), Janet Lynn Showalter, and Jennifer Devlin Lamb (Edward); step-children, T. Michael Bruner (Stephanie) and David Lawrence Bruner (Jessica); grandchildren, Eliza, Emily, Logan, Molly, Cole, Kelly, and Brandon; and nephew, Timothy Jenkins. Gordon was a veteran of the Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force, having served on active duty from 1946-1949 and the Air Force Reserve from 1950-1960 as a First Lieutenant. He was also a civilian employee of the USAF for sixteen years (1949-1962) and the Federal Aviation Administration for twelve years (1962-1974). As a civilian staff officer, Gordon represented the USAF on various committees and panels of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and as the official USAF representative to NATO and Canadian-United Kingdom-United States (CANUKUS) joint activities regarding cryptography and communications security. He was a liaison representative on these matters with the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. His FAA positions included Special Assistant to the Director of the National Airspace Program Office (NASPO), the office charged with automating the United States Air Traffic Control System, and as the Chief of the Plans and Programs Division. After retirement from the Federal Government, Gordon sold corporate jet aircraft for five years and was a real estate developer and salesman in Carroll, Howard, and Frederick Counties. He held a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma and was a graduate pf the Maxwell Mid-Career Development Program of the Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University. Gordon was an avid tennis player and golfer. He also played baseball and basketball in high school and for several military bases. He was a member of the Harmon AFB, Newfoundland basketball team that participated in the 1947 Air Force tournament. He was a member of St. John Catholic Church and served as a Health Care Minister and was active in the Divine Mercy Ministry. The family will receive friends on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 at Pritts Funeral Home and Chapel, 412 Washington Road, Westminster, MD 21157. A Christian wake will take place at 7:30pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, January 17, 2025, beginning at 11:30am at St. John Catholic Church, 43 Monroe Street, Westminster. Interment will follow at Meadow Branch Cemetery. If desired, any donations to St. John Roman Catholic Church in honor of Gordon would be greatly appreciated. Online condolences may be offered to her family at www.prittsfuneralhome.com.