Randolph Jenks ’36

“Pat” Jenks died Feb. 18, 2011.

Born in Morristown, N.J., he lived in the West from the age of 15 and came to Princeton from Morristown School, Mesa Ranch School in Arizona, the Hun School, and Hotchkiss. He left us after freshman year to attend the University of Arizona, but returned to graduate from Princeton Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of the Society of Sigma Xi and majored in biology. Two of his good friends were Thurlow Gordon and Arthur Butler.

After Princeton, Pat led an interesting and varied life in Arizona and New Mexico as a cattle rancher, conservationist, ornithologist (he discovered and named the subspecies Arizona Golden-crowned Kinglet), naturalist, teacher, author, and tennis player. He also was a devoted supporter of many organizations, including the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Audubon Society, and New Tribes Mission, and helped to establish the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Sanctuary.

The overriding guiding light in Pat’s life was his Christian faith, and he and his wife, Julia, founded the Friends Church (Quaker) in Tucson.

Predeceased by Julia, Pat is survived by four children, Josephine Trant, Randolph Jr., Marie Sutton, and Bertha Reed; 12 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.