Obituary of Dudley Dean Jenkins

Dudley Dean Jenkins was a lifetime resident of the Cove in Stamford who died Sunday, November 22 at Stamford Hospital after a brief illness. He was in the company of his family at his death at 92 years of age. He was born July 22, 1923 in Stamford, and was the son of the late Alice Dean Jenkins. Dudley was a 1941 graduate of Stamford High School and attended the University of Connecticut, where he met the love of his life, Rosemary Voos Jenkins. They were married for 49 years before she predeceased him in 2000. Enlisting in 1942, he served as a radio operator, mechanic and master gunner in the 8th Army Air Corps, 453rd Bomb Group, 733 Squadron, and in that capacity flew in 30 missions in the European theater of operations. He received the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the European Campaign Medal with four Service Stars and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank of Technical Sergeant. Following his college experience, he was employed as a field service engineer for the National Cash Register Company in Fairfield County for a total of 37 years. Upon his retirement, he kept active boating and fishing on Long Island Sound. He was a member in several civic organizations in town: including the American Legion Post 3, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9617 and the Stamford Elks Lodge No. 899. He was an active member of his lodge right up until his passing and held many positions, including Exalted Ruler, Trustee, and Tiler. He was the current Chaplain of the Stamford Elks at the time of his passing. He was active especially in the areas of veteran's activities, hoop shoot, bicycle helmet give away, and the Elks contributions to Connecticut Special Olympics. His awards include Officer of the Year, Veteran Volunteer Award, and numerous other citations and certificates of appreciation. He served as the Grand Marshall of the Stamford Veterans Day Parade in 2006. He also received the Unsung Hero award from the Special Olympics Connecticut in 2011. He is survived by his three sons, Richard D. Jenkins (Susan M.) of Milford, Thomas A. Jenkins (Virginia L. Atkinson) of Norwalk, Peter M. Jenkins (Donna D.) of Warwick, Rhode Island and a daughter, Susan E. Jenkins (Hank Bromley) of Savannah, Georgia. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Calling hours will be on 5-8 p.m. Friday, December 4, at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Road, Darien, CT. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 5 at the First Congregational Church of Stamford, Walton Place, Stamford, CT. Rev. Susan L. Gibson will officiate. Internment with full military honors at the Spring Grove Cemetery, Darien will follow the services. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Elks National Foundation, 2750 North Lakeview Ave, Chicago, IL 60614, Special Olympics Connecticut, 266 State Street, Suite 1, Hartford, CT 06517 or the First Congregational Church, Walton Place, Stamford, CT 06901. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820