May 20, 2015

In Memoriam: Lionel Jenkins ’58; ex-Friar athlete dedicated to alumni affairs, civil rights

lionel_jenkeins_1994
Lionel J. Jenkins ’58, a former Friar basketball player, dedicated alumnus, and champion of civil rights, died on Feb. 14, 2015.

Mr. Jenkins played basketball at PC for four seasons, including the last three on the varsity team. He also was a member of the track team.

Always close to his alma mater, he served on the National Alumni Association (NAA) Board of Governors (now Council) and on class phonathons and reunion committees. He received the NAA Exemplary Citizenship Award in 1993 and was presented the Mal Brown Award by the Greater Providence Chapter of the NAA, the Mal Brown Club, in 2004.

A frequent participant in multicultural reunions and activities at the College, Mr. Jenkins was a lifelong advocate for civil rights. A retired regional director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, he frequently traveled to southern states to serve as a compliance officer in housing discrimination cases.

Mr. Jenkins’ sense of duty was apparent on the local level as well. A U.S. Army veteran, he served on many boards and organizations, including the Housing Board in Smithfield, R.I., where he resided.

Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Jenkins went to Rhode Island as a young man to escape racial prejudice and to pursue education. He excelled as a student and an athlete at Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, R.I., before attending PC. He was named to the first class of inductees of Mount St. Charles’ Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 and was honored by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League as a “RIIL Basketball Legend” that same year.

Among his survivors are his four children, Linda D. Gaines and her husband, Bennett; Kym A. Jenkins and his wife, Michele; Maria A. Jenkins; and Richard L. Jenkins and his wife, Karen. He also is survived by 10 grandchildren.

A funeral service, with military honors, was held in The Keefe Funeral Home, Lincoln, R.I.

Gifts in his memory may be made to the Lionel J. Jenkins ’58 Minority Torch Scholars Award, in care of Providence College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918-0001.