Wadyce Jenkins

Townsend – Wadyce Felton Jenkins, 73, died Sunday, July 11, 2021, at the SGHS – Brunswick Campus.  He was a lifelong resident of McIntosh County.  You don’t go too many places in McIntosh County and mention the name Wadyce Jenkins without hearing a story about how he was such a great man. Wadyce grew up in the Jenkins General Store with his 7 brothers, 1 sister, mother, and father. Wadyce learned how to give freely and take care of others firsthand from his parents, Olive and Olney Jenkins. The family attended South Newport Baptist Church where Wadyce and his brothers helped build the old sanctuary. In high school, Wadyce was an all-star basketball player helping his team to the final four in the state championship his senior year. He continued to play basketball in college where he earned his degree in education. Wadyce was an intellectual man, always reading and wanting to learn new things. After many years working in the school system, Wadyce went on to earn a Doctor of Law from Mercer University. Wadyce touched the lives of many people. He was a life-long educator, history buff, people person (never meeting a stranger), basketball star, coach, mentor, and caregiver. But above all of those, he was a husband, a daddy, a papa, a brother, and an uncle. He was preceded in death by his parents, Olney and Olive Howard Jenkins, brother, Dennis Jenkins, nephew, Jeff Jenkins, and honorary brother, Abe Brown.

Survivors are his wife, Barbara Lane Jenkins of Townsend; daughters and sons-in-law, Mandy and David Morgan of Townsend, Jill and Bud Lott of Hubert, NC, Ellen and Artie Prendergast of Sileby, England, and Tivi Theollyn of Tumwater, WA; sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Clark LaRoche of Townsend; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bobby and Jackie Jenkins of St. Augustine, FL, Dale Jenkins and Virgil Jenkins of Darien, Lee and Pam Jenkins of Townsend, Keith and Jodi Jenkins of Crescent, and Ronnie Jenkins of Brunswick; grandchildren, Alexis, Dylan, Caroline, Charles, Devon, Tyd, and Henry;  great-grandchildren, Faith and Taylor; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be Thursday, July 15 at 3 PM at South Newport Baptist Church with Rev. David Riddle officiating.

Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church.

Burial will be private.

Active pallbearers will be nephews.

Honorary pallbearers will be the 1966 Darien High School basketball team members.

Family and friends may sign the online register at www.howardfuneralga.com

Arrangements are under the direction of Howard Funeral Home of Ludowici.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wadyce Jenkins, please visit our floral store.