Jack Jenkins Obituary

In Loving Memory of

Dr. Jack Osborne Jenkins, Ph.D.

May 14, 1948 – March 1, 2026

Dr. Jack Osborne Jenkins, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, pastor, educator, and trailblazer, peacefully entered eternal rest on March 1, 2026, in Carrollton, Georgia. Born on May 14, 1948, in Savannah, Georgia, to Reverend Frank Allen Jenkins Jr. and Rosa Lee Hunter Jenkins, Dr. Jenkins carried the values of resilience, faith, and service instilled in him from his earliest days — and spent a lifetime giving those values back to the world.

A recipient of the Ford Foundation scholarship, Dr. Jenkins earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Morris Brown College in 1970 — an HBCU whose legacy he carried proudly throughout his life. Following his service as a mental health counselor in the United States Army at Fort Hood, Texas, he returned to academia with singular determination. He attended the graduate program at the University of North Texas in Denton before earning his Master of Science in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia in 1974 and his Ph.D. in 1976, becoming only the second African American in the department’s history to reach that milestone. He also holds the distinction of being the second Black licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia.

In 1986, Dr. Jenkins joined the faculty at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, where he would make history once more. In 1987, he became the first Black Dean of the Graduate School — a position he held for 19 years. He later served as the first Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity, guiding UWG’s mission toward inclusion and equity until his retirement in 2012. Throughout his career he contributed over 175 professional and peer-reviewed publications to his field.

Beyond the academy, Dr. Jenkins was a man of deep community commitment. An ordained United Methodist pastor, he served his congregation with the same quiet strength he brought to every calling. He served as Secretary and later Vice President of the NAACP Carroll County Branch for seven years and was a proud member of the Lions Club of Carrollton. He was a proud active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Iota Chapter, Morris Brown College, 1967), a founding member and first president of the Coalition of West Georgia Brothers, and co-founder of B.E.S.T. — Black Men Encouraging Success Today — an organization whose name reflected his deepest convictions.

Above all, Dr. Jenkins was devoted to his family. On December 22, 1973, he married the love of his life, Mrs. Delilah Elaine Luten Jenkins, at Speedwell United Methodist Church in Savannah, Georgia. To this union was born three sons. For 52 years, he was a loving and steadfast partner, and Mrs. Jenkins — a retired educator of 20 years — remains the joy and anchor of his legacy. Their life together in Carrollton was a testament to faith, love, and the enduring power of commitment.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Mrs. Delilah Elaine Luten Jenkins of Carrollton, Georgia; his devoted brothers, Frank Allen Jenkins III (Lois) of Montgomery, Alabama, and George Edward Jenkins (Juliette) of Reistertown, Maryland; his sons, Simel Eric O. Jenkins Bey (Angela), DAOM, Austin, Texas, Quincy Allen Jenkins (Alex), Ed.D. of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Christopher Matthew Jenkins (Kierrha), M.D. of Macon, Georgia; and four cherished grandchildren, Ashlyn Miliah Jenkins, Tahmina Dunn Beltran, Miles Ahmir Dunn Jenkins Bey, and Della Simone Dunn Jenkins Bey.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Reverend Frank Allen Jenkins Jr. and Rosa Lee Hunter Jenkins, of Savannah, Georgia.

Homegoing Celebration

Alpha Phi Alpha Brothers Viewing

Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home

602 Newnan Rd, Carrollton, Georgia 30117

Viewing — Friends & Family

Sunday, March 8, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home

602 Newnan Rd, Carrollton, Georgia 30117

Funeral Service

Monday, March 9, 2026 | 11:00 AM

Moore’s Chapel United Methodist Church

121 North Park Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30117

Interment

West Georgia Memorial Park

4194 Highway 61 S, Carrollton, GA 30112

In Lieu of Flowers

The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Dr. Jack O. Jenkins Scholarship Fund, supporting the next generation of scholars in his honor.

Rho Pi Lambda Chapter — Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

www.rhopilambda.org/essay-contest

Donations also accepted via Zelle:

Gold Star Scholarship Fund

“A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a quote cherished by Dr. Jack O. Jenkins