Hobart Jenkins
Hobart (Hobe) Jenkins
Hobart (Hobe) Jenkins passed away on March 15 at age 92 in Bellevue, WA.
Born in St. John, WA on February 17, 1924, graduated from Rogers High School in Spokane in 1941. Joined the Army Air Corps and flew B-24’s in WW II with the 15th Air Force 464th Bombardment Group, earning numerous medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. His patriotism and love of country was expressed through his continued military service in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves. He retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel.
He married Marilyn Samuel in 1942. After WWII, he earned his BS and MS at Washington State University and began a lengthy career in education; including high schools in Dayton, Sunnyside, Langley, and Mead, Washington. Received his PhD from WSU and began a career in higher education administration. Held positions at University of Washington, University of Idaho, Centralia Community College, and was President of Spokane Community College. His leadership, contributions, and vision for SCC were honored with the naming of The Jenkins Wellness Center.
He managed the family homestead wheat ranch in St. John throughout his adult life. He loved fishing, hunting, flying, baseball, and the WSU Cougars.
Upon retirement, he and Marilyn moved to Bayview, Idaho where they built their dream house on Lake Pend Oreille. He loved the community and became its advocate writing and receiving grants for the building of their community center, the Kokanee Recovery Project with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Wildflower Recovery Project, and for modernization of the local water, septic, and fire systems. He served as Bayview Chamber of Commerce President, Water Board President and long time advisor on diverse projects for community improvement. He was on the board of Kootenai Electric for many years. He passed his sense of civic responsibility on to his family whom he loved deeply.
He is survived by his three daughters, Susan Seiber (James), Kathleen Currie (Michael), Patricia Jenkins, three grandchildren Sandy Long (Chris), TJ Seiber (Sara), Chris Currie and six great-grandchildren.
Hobe asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to the Bayview Community Center PO Box 121 Bayview, Idaho 83803 or the Hobart Jenkins Memorial Scholarship Fund, Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation PO Box 6000 Spokane, WA 99217-6000.
Internment services at the Tahoma National Cemetery on April 8th at 1:30pm. Memorial service will be held at the Bayview Community Center on Saturday, July 9th at 12:00 noon.
5 Responses to “Hobart Jenkins”
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I met Hobe in Bayview after we had moved in 2007. He was definitely one of the pillars of our community-having put his good skills, knowledge and dedication to work in so many areas to improve his beloved Bayview community. We had a special, warm friendship because I cared for his wife’s Marilyn memorial garden. The first time I met Hobe, he was knocking at my screen door asking if he could spray my weeds on our road. He stated he had done this for the previous owners over the years. He startled the heck out of me. He then introduced himself and I put the pieces of the puzzle together for myself. He became a good friend. My husband Bob and other friends went on some of his last elk hunts. Hobe also had a plan for all the coyotes up at our property, and there were many conversations about how this would happen. Hobe loved his ATV. He would drive it to the top of his hill to get the daily mail. We enjoyed numerous conversations at the mailbox over the years. He would drive on all the dirt roads around our community and even down the steep hill to his boathouse. He was still working on community projects when his health forced the assisted living hand.
A measure of a person is what they have left behind. Thank you Hobe for everything. You are missed. Now you are with your Marilyn.
Smooth sailing Hobe.You’re one of the great ones and surely will be missed.RIP.
Hobe, you leave behind a lot of memories and will be missed by so many.
My condolences to Hobe’s family. I was sad to read of his passing. I had the opportunity to interview and write about Hobe several times over the years, and I always enjoyed talking to him and getting his perspective on various issues.
No other administrator has had such a strong influence on my career as an instructor. Because of Hobe, I am now finishing my 55th year of teaching. Our days at Mead High School were some of the best of those 55 years. When he moved on to SFCC (before his SCC days)he brought me along, and now I continue my tenure there, only because of his belief in me and encouragement that I would love my profession.