Ron Jenkins influenced many lives through educating and helping others.
“Dad would support anybody and everybody. He was huge on education” said Michelle Christian, Jenkins’ daughter. “No matter where he was or what he did, he had a passion for education of young people.”
Jenkins worked as a health educator for Grady Memorial Hospital and later at the Georgia Department of Human Resources.
He also worked with the American Cancer Society and was a mentor and camp counselor.
He wrote grants, worked with nonprofits, educated the community about chronic diseases, family planning, AIDS, environmental health and safety, and nutrition; and he was a member of both Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.
“He was the only child in his family to be able to afford to go to college,” said Jenkins’ wife Cynthia. “It was his passion to see that other disadvantaged children did the same thing.”
Ronnie Steve Jenkins, of Atlanta, died July 25 after complications from a stroke. He was 70. Alpha Phi Alpha will hold an Omega Service at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Murray Brothers Funeral Home Cascade Chapel. Visitation will follow from 7-9 p.m. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 1 at Cascade United Methodist Church. Murray Brothers is in charge of arrangements.
Jenkins’ leadership and influence encouraged his daughter Michelle Christian to work with at-risk youth, and his involvement in Boy Scouts influenced his grandsons to join the Scouts.
Jenkins also influenced Sherman Lofton Jr., who was a classmate of Christian’s and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha with Jenkins.
“He was always looking for ways to help programs that center around children to have access to money and resources so they could deliver better services,” Lofton said. “He was the type of man that I want to be.”
Jenkins inspired countless others to become leaders and give to their communities.
“He gave of himself, he gave of his time, he gave of his talent and he gave of his money. That’s how he lived his life,” said Lofton.
In addition to his wife Cynthia Jenkins of Atlanta and daughter Michelle Christian of Dallas, Ga., Jenkins is survived by sisters Barbara Patrick and Sandra Johnson of DeLand, Fla., brothers Ramon Howell of Jacksonville, Fla., and Kenneth Johnson of DeLand, Fla., and stepbrother Steven Jenkins of Silver Spring, Md., and three grandsons.
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