Howard
Howard Allen Jenkins
d. September 22, 2016
Howard Allen Jenkins, born in Clovis, NM October 10, 1934, eighth child of Richard Thomas Jenkins (1886-1962) and Jessie James Jenkins (1892-1976), who were early Twentieth Century pioneers in Eastern New Mexico and West Texas, died September 22, 2016.
He is survived by his daughter, Allison F. Jenkins Francoeur of Denver, CO; sons, Dumrongsak L. Jenkins and wife Tina of West Covina, CA, Richard Bounkeua Jenkins and five children of Vientiane, Laos; foster sons, Kim Loi Tran, Kingsavanh Bounkeua and Ly Dao, all of Albuquerque; and special friend, Nora Macon of Ft. Worth, TX. Also, many grandchildren; three-great-grandchildren; and several nephews and nieces, special among them, Dana Nelson of Texas and Daren Hammonds of Albuquerque. He is preceded in death by his genetic son, Allen C. Jenkins who was killed while jogging on September 22, 1998, leaving his widow Jodee and children, Sara and Anna of Albuquerque, and Stefanie and Zachary from a previous marriage, of Amarillo, TX. Also preceding him in death are his three brothers, Herbert Meynard, Oren Dana and Darwin Douglas; sisters, Modine Allison and Reba Jo Hammonds, Benna Tarter, Paula Harman; niece Jere Harrington and son in law William Francoeur.
Howard's career in education included teaching music in San Angelo, TX, psychology at the University of Albuquerque, English at Albuquerque High Night School, psychology at Sandia High School, and psychology at Highland High School. Joining the Highland HS counseling staff in 1971, he was established in his career in counseling when hundreds of refugees from countries including those of South East Asia, Cuba, Israel, Iran and economic immigrants from Mexico, with no notice from the U.S. Government, inundated the public schools, especially Highland. He was involved in the development of the first English as a Second Language curriculum used in New Mexico and was deeply appreciated by the students whom he helped to educate and to adjust to living in a Capitalist Democracy, to a new language and to a vastly different culture. After his retirement, he traveled widely including several visits with some of his students' families stilling living in Communist countries, among them, Vietnam, Laos, China (six months before the Tiananmen Square rebellion) and repeatedly, Thailand. He traveled extensively in his beloved Mexico where for a time he had a second home in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and to Europe, Greece and the countries of Central America except Nicaragua. Writing travelogues and observations about various cultural insights for his family and friends was a pleasure for him and for those who read his material and poetry. Howard had an abiding interest in language, music, literature and art. It was a great reward to him that he viewed collections of many of the world's great art museums.
Cremation has taken place.
Portions of his cremated remains will be scattered in a privately owned area near the Sandia Mountains and in the Mekong River between Laos and Thailand, by his son, D.L. Jenkins. Once asked for a comment about his life Howard said, "I have had great joys and tremendous pain, beauty and ugliness, poverty and plenty, poetry and the profane, and it has certainly been damned interesting!" He preferred, however, joy, beauty, plenty and poetry, which he was happy to share with others around the world, and apparently, they with him. Living his life under the severe principles of the philosophy of Existentialism, he also remarked, "It is not easy and it is lonely. But the surety of knowing who is responsible for one's life is, nevertheless, invigorating." Bye, Dad, we love you and miss your love, humor and irony. Thank you for the beautiful memories.
He is survived by his daughter, Allison F. Jenkins Francoeur of Denver, CO; sons, Dumrongsak L. Jenkins and wife Tina of West Covina, CA, Richard Bounkeua Jenkins and five children of Vientiane, Laos; foster sons, Kim Loi Tran, Kingsavanh Bounkeua and Ly Dao, all of Albuquerque; and special friend, Nora Macon of Ft. Worth, TX. Also, many grandchildren; three-great-grandchildren; and several nephews and nieces, special among them, Dana Nelson of Texas and Daren Hammonds of Albuquerque. He is preceded in death by his genetic son, Allen C. Jenkins who was killed while jogging on September 22, 1998, leaving his widow Jodee and children, Sara and Anna of Albuquerque, and Stefanie and Zachary from a previous marriage, of Amarillo, TX. Also preceding him in death are his three brothers, Herbert Meynard, Oren Dana and Darwin Douglas; sisters, Modine Allison and Reba Jo Hammonds, Benna Tarter, Paula Harman; niece Jere Harrington and son in law William Francoeur.
Howard's career in education included teaching music in San Angelo, TX, psychology at the University of Albuquerque, English at Albuquerque High Night School, psychology at Sandia High School, and psychology at Highland High School. Joining the Highland HS counseling staff in 1971, he was established in his career in counseling when hundreds of refugees from countries including those of South East Asia, Cuba, Israel, Iran and economic immigrants from Mexico, with no notice from the U.S. Government, inundated the public schools, especially Highland. He was involved in the development of the first English as a Second Language curriculum used in New Mexico and was deeply appreciated by the students whom he helped to educate and to adjust to living in a Capitalist Democracy, to a new language and to a vastly different culture. After his retirement, he traveled widely including several visits with some of his students' families stilling living in Communist countries, among them, Vietnam, Laos, China (six months before the Tiananmen Square rebellion) and repeatedly, Thailand. He traveled extensively in his beloved Mexico where for a time he had a second home in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and to Europe, Greece and the countries of Central America except Nicaragua. Writing travelogues and observations about various cultural insights for his family and friends was a pleasure for him and for those who read his material and poetry. Howard had an abiding interest in language, music, literature and art. It was a great reward to him that he viewed collections of many of the world's great art museums.
Cremation has taken place.
Portions of his cremated remains will be scattered in a privately owned area near the Sandia Mountains and in the Mekong River between Laos and Thailand, by his son, D.L. Jenkins. Once asked for a comment about his life Howard said, "I have had great joys and tremendous pain, beauty and ugliness, poverty and plenty, poetry and the profane, and it has certainly been damned interesting!" He preferred, however, joy, beauty, plenty and poetry, which he was happy to share with others around the world, and apparently, they with him. Living his life under the severe principles of the philosophy of Existentialism, he also remarked, "It is not easy and it is lonely. But the surety of knowing who is responsible for one's life is, nevertheless, invigorating." Bye, Dad, we love you and miss your love, humor and irony. Thank you for the beautiful memories.
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