Jackie G. Junkin

Jack made DCS a better place by how he led, and how he influenced me and others to be a leader. He was like the steel beams in a tall building, not prominent from the outside but providing bedrock strength within. His strength was evident in his character, integrity, decency, and loyalty that he displayed to us all, even in the difficult times to the end. Jack had incredible business insight and wisdom, and made decisions based on common sense and just what was the "right thing to do". He had convictions which he held fast to, but mastered the art of being both firm and fair. Jack never preached these things, just lived them, and we will all be a little better off just by having the privilege of working so closely with him... Jack will be missed.

Each time my thoughts dwell on my relations with Jackie Junkin, and there have been many such reflections in the month since he left, I have come to the same conclusion. Jackie Junkin was one of those exceptional individuals who really did leave his impact on the heart and mind of whoever’s path he crossed. In my case, that path crossed over 26 years ago when I met him in the Pentagon while we were both in the military. Unfortunately, we were working for opposing Services which resulted in us being what you might call adversaries; he as an Air Force officer on the USAF staff and I as a Marine Corps officer on the USN staff. During early encounters it became crystal clear to me that this quiet, soft spoken, even-tempered officer was winning all the important issues that were in controversy between the two Services, which meant that I was losing them. I realized then that Jackie was a person that needed to be on my side if I was to be successful. Needless to say, I couldn’t persuade Jackie to join the Marines or the Navy so I had to continue to admire his stellar performance as he consistently won the vast majority of the arguments until my retirement in 1976. Then, in September 1979, Jackie joined DCS Corporation and since I was also with DCS, we were now on the same side.



Being on the same side gave me the opportunity to see Jackie in action on almost a daily basis and quickly I realized that the real secret to his success was vested in his extraordinary leadership skills. His quiet, soft spoken, even tempered mannerism were simply a manifestation of his character. When he spoke, he said very little but what he said was succinct and to the point. As he took on more and more management responsibility at DCS, his leadership talents became more apparent to all. As a leader, he truly became the scholar, teacher and mentor and in so doing gained the respect and admiration of everyone. He didn’t achieve this high esteem simply by directing that it be so with words, but rather by his personal actions and deeds. He was an honorable person with strong moral character and his loyalty and integrity were always at the highest standard. Jackie was also a gentle man, who never took credit for his accomplishments. But, I believe that he took pride in the fact that when the work at hand was done, his peers and subordinates alike were always pleased because they thought that they had completed it all by themselves.



But above all other things, Jackie was a friend. A friend to the entire DCS family. My friend. He gave so much to so many at DCS over the years because he truly believed that the people in the company were what made the company great. We can no longer thank him for what he did for us; we can only thank Him above for having given us the honor to be his friend. Although we must now bid Jackie farewell, we do so with the certainty that his legacy of professionalism as a leader and mentor with unprecedented qualities of leadership, honor, integrity, and loyalty will always be part of the culture of DCS. Goodbye good friend. We shall miss you. I shall miss you. We all shall never forget you.

Dear Dad--when Nancy first told me about this guest book I was almost reluctant to look at it-but I did and I'm glad. Nothing is going to bring you back to us but seeing all the things people remember you for helps me to know you will always be in our hearts.I know you always said you were glad you had girls because we were "easier" than boys(although you may have wondered about that on some occassions) and that you would have been too hard on a boy.I don't think that is entirely true. After you were gone Kevin said to me that one thing he regretted was not being able to thank you for all the advice and help you gave him over the years--not to mention the power tools! He said you were one of the two most powerful influences in his life--not bad for someone who didn't want a son!Thank you again for everything you did for us--I hope we don't dissapoint you as we make our way through life. I love you and miss you.

Of all my memories of my nearly 13 years with DCS, the most pleasant and enduring is Jackie Junkin. As a "fresh-caught" Marine Corps retiree baqck in 1987, I had much to learn about working on the other side and Jackie proved to be a patient and thorough teacher. He had a personal warmth and an honest sincerity that marked him as a very special human being.

I learned a lot from Jackie and not all of it was just about business (although, in time, I came to appreciate that there were few who were as understanding and knowledgable as he). As a teacher and as a leader, he had that rare gift that just made you want to try harder, to give it your best and he was always there with that extra encouragement when the going got tough.

Thank you, Jackie; my life is definitely the better for your being part of it. God Bless and Keep You.

Over the five years I've known Jackie, our phone & lunch conversations were of family & DCS. We knew each other well before actually meeting through many calls in which, I'm privileged to say, we discovered a shared sense of values & ethic. Jackie is a person you instinctively want to move past being an aquaintance to having as a close friend. He commits to people & ideals. He reveled in his Grandson and delighted in talking of his Daughters - particularly Nancy as she was the initial link between us. His was a terribly debilitating fight but thoughout, his concern and patience for people & his warmth never faulted.

I miss him terribly.

Carson

The very first time I met Jack Junkin I was impressed. This warm, likable guy with an Alabama accent could disarm anyone with a few well-chosen, soft-spoken words. I remember, many years ago, a DCS meeting with our NAVAIR weapons PMA customer. The new PMA had just reported aboard, and he was of the opinion that he needed little if any contractor support. The meeting was tense to say the least ­ here was a guy about to fire all his contractors and subs. When the PMA finished his say, Jackie had the opportunity to say a few words to calm the turbulent waters. The PMA must have been impressed with Jack¹s presentation because he not only kept DCS as the prime contractor, but also later increased our work. This was typical of Jack Junkin¹s performance during his many years at DCS. He was a great leader, truly interested in the welfare of the people who worked for him, even as cancer was taking its toll on his strength. Talented, motivated and empathetic people like Jack don¹t come into our lives that frequently - he will be sorely missed.

The two things that always impressed me about Jack were his intelligence and his absolute commitment to DCS. I have sat through several controversial meetings where Jack was in attendance, and learned that you could always count on 2 things: Jack would struggle to understand the issues even if the topic was outside of his area of expertise, and he would fight to the end to do the right thing for the company. Jack could sometimes be harsh in his commentary, but it was my experience that if you were straightforward and sincere in trying to help DCS, that he would treat you with decency and fairness. I admired Jack tremendously; He was an excellent role model of professional dedication.

I worked directly for Jack Junkin for the past six years and during that timeframe I had the opportunity to travel with him on many occasions. Most of the travel was for the field-site planning sessions so we typically would do the southeast offices (Huntsville and Shalimar) one week, break for a week, and do the western offices (San Diego and Ridgecrest) the third week.



One thing I noticed when we traveled to Huntsville and Shalimar was that Jack’s Alabama accent became significantly more pronounced as we moved south of the Mason-Dixon line. I’m not sure if he did this purposefully or not, but it had a tremendous impact on southern waitresses. Typically we would let Jack order for the table. He introduced us to such southern delicacies as “Saw-Mill Gravy, grits, okra, and pecan pie.” I really liked the pecan pie!



Anyone who has participated in the DCS planning sessions knows that each session takes a lot of time and energy. Topics ranged from financial performance to business development efforts. Usually we were worn out by the end of the day. I know that I always was! But the topic that Jack Junkin spent the most time on and was always the most interested in was the topic of personnel. He really wanted to know how the people were doing, who were the top performers, who needed help, and what could the company do to provide that help. While most people thought that an Executive Vice-President was only supposed to look at the bottom line, Jack was truly concerned with his people and where they were going as DCS grew.



Most people didn’t know that the west coast trip was planned around the California strawberry season. It seems that both Jack (and an unnamed DCS President) had a peculiar fondness for fresh strawberry pie. Our west coast trips were also interesting. Jack was always wondering what “new ideas” Joe Roitz would present.



On our west coast trip we would usually try to fly roundtrip to Las Vegas, which was the cheapest way to get to the west coast (according to our friends in Shalimar). This usually afforded us an evening at the gaming tables prior to an early flight back to DC. On our last trip out there, I left Jack and Jim at the blackjack tables around 8 PM and turned in for an early night. We were supposed to meet in the lobby at 0600 the next morning and head to the airport. I found Jim Wood checking out and I asked him how late he had stayed up gambling (figuring that it might have been a late night). Jim told me that he had gone up around 1030, but that Jack was still at the slot machines when he left. Shortly thereafter Jack showed up and sheepishly admitted that he been hot at the slots, won a couple of hundred dollars, and didn’t get to bed until after 2 AM! Helen, I hope he shared his winnings and this story with you! Jack – we really miss you.

I am thankful for Jackie's influence on everyone around him, and I pray for God's presence to be so very obvious to Sara, Nancy, and Helen...and to everyone else who misses him. His quiet strength and perseverance are an inspiration to me.

Dad - As I sit here reading all the wonderful messages your friends have left about the way you touched their lives, it makes me feel good to realize I am not the only one who is a better person for having you in my life. you were much more than a Dad, you were my best friend. I always came to you before making any major decision, because you had a very unique way of giving your advice and then leaving the final decision up to me. Even when I made the wrong choice, you never said "I told you so" instead, you just helped me get back on my feet again.

You always put those around you first and you were the most generous, kind hearted individual I've ever known. I remember once when I interviewed you for a management class in college. I asked you "What do you do when one of your employees screws up?" You answered "Well, first of all I try to figure out what I've done wrong. 9 times out of 10 when someone isn't doing their job it is because I haven't done my job. I try to make sure I have given them the resources they need to do the job, the respect they deserve for doing it, and the recognition they need to motivate them to keep it up. I also try to recognize and admit it to them when I have screwed up" I always remember this becuase it was at that point I realized what you are all about. You always put others first and that's what makes everyone love you so much.

Even on the last day I saw you, you were in so much pain I could see it in your eyes. You didn't complain. You apologized, because you didn't feel well enough to eat my Birthday cake with me. I love you very much Dad and I hope I will make you proud one day by being the best parent I can be for Torin so he can know the love from you. And wherever I go, whatever I do, I'll try to "Keep it in the middle of the road"!

I wish to add my thanks and appreciation for Jackie Junkin, who provided DCS Corp excellent professional leadership in a very caring way. It was Jackie who hired me as a new employee 16 years ago. For this I am very grateful, and I appreciate very much our association, especially our more direct contact while at the former DCS facility on Fairfax Street in Alexandria. He is missed at DCS, and I miss him. Even now I say, Thank you Jackie for all you have done for DCS and for me.

For Jackie's family, my sympathy for your loss, and thank you for sharing Jackie with us.

C.C. Parkinson

Jackie was a great leader and thoughtful comrade-in-arms on the DCS Board of Directors. He always had insightful comments and his word carried great weight. He will be terribly missed!

When I think of Jackie Junkin, a man of integrity, wisdom, strength and gentleness come to mind. His love for DCS was shown by his dedication and loyalty, which helped make it the company it is today. It was obvious he loved his family very much. Jackie was a true southern gentlemen, with a soft spoken voice. He will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will miss him dearly. God bless Jackie's family.

I first met Jack 11 years ago when I started working for DCS as a receptionist. I was nervous when “the vice president” would call our office. But Jack would always take the time to say hello and ask how I was doing. That might not seem like a big deal to many, but it was something he did not have to do.



I just wanted to say that your online guest book is a great honor to your father. It clearly expresses the love that you have for him. May you gain strength from the words of so many who were better because of him.

I will always remember Jackie as an individual who cared "deeply" about the people that worked for him and inspired the rest of us to do the same. He will be greatly missed.

I worked with Jackie years ago at DCS. He was a great person to work with and I always had so much respect for him. He was kind and respectful to everyone, no matter their position. I'm so sorry for your tremendous loss. Please know that Jackie will always be remembered in the hearts of the many whose lives he touched.

Jackie Junkin was a deep thinker. He could synthesize the disparate thoughts of a group into a single bold statement. This was great for ending meetings!

He had the highest regard for the people he worked with. He showed that he respected you by being prepared. Jackie was always better prepared than anybody else (this should be our example). But, of course, he never claimed the credit he was due for this preparation.

These things, with the addition of his disarming joviality and candor, are what I remember. Im honored to have known him.

I will always remember Jackie as a kind, carring, honest, intelligent man who deeply loved his family. He always treated me with respect and kindness. Your family will continue to be in my prayers. I will miss your strength and your kindness.

I will always remember Jackie as being an honest, open, and thoughtful man. He was part of the blood, sweat, and tears that made DCS the Corporation that it is today. Jackie was dedicated to DCS and to his family. He was a man with great integrity and was not afraid of hard work. He will be missed greatly by all who knew him. God Bless Jackie and his wonderful family.

Jackie was one of the good guys.

Jack was a real "straight-shooter" the kind of man who didn't just tell you what he thought but why he thought it.

You will always hold a special place in my heart.

Jack was always very supportive of me and my career at DCS. He always made the time to come to my annual Planning Sessions (even when he was in pain from his illness). I admire his courage, his intellect, and his wit, which he always delivered with his characteristic "Suth'n Ack-sent". We will all miss him very much.

Every time I met Jackie I learned something new. He will be missed.

Jackie was one of the first people I met at DCS, at my indoctrination briefing. I was immediately impressed by his knowledge and the sense of quiet authority he imparted. And when I found out that he dreaded receiving my activity reports, my admiration for him increased even more! I will miss him immensely.



Phil Manfredi

Jackie Junkin was the type of person who made an impact on every life he came in contact with. When I first started at DCS, I was so scared to even talk to him. He was straight forward and brillant. As I got to know him, I realize that he was the type of person that he would do anything for you. He had a heart of Gold. He adored his family and lived his life for them. He loved DCS and took great pride in what DCS was all about. I learned so much from him over the years, and I will never forget him or the impact he had on my life. He and his family will always be a major part of the DCS family. I will miss him dearly!

Jackie was the very best person to work for. He was always honest and straight forward. He was not afraid to let you know what you did wrong in a way that was not demeaning but he was also the first to encourage you to do your best. This always made me want to do more for him.



I shall certainly miss him every day but I will always remember him as the kind, intelligent and gentle man that he was.



He made a big impact in my life and I am grateful to have known him.

I remember Jackie as a quiet man.