Richard Jenkins

Richard Allen Jenkins was born October 26, 1958 in Grenada, MS to Corbin and Emagene (Ward) Jenkins, two of the kindest, most generous people to ever walk the planet. It's no surprise that they raised a man as equally as wonderful and compassionate as they were. He entered eternity with his Savior on December 26, 2024 at the age of 66 after a brief but warrior-like battle with liver cancer. Richard was born to be a leader-a role he embraced with warmth, humor and the innate ability to make others feel seen and heard. He was a great conversationalist and was the friendliest stranger you'd ever meet.

Richard earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from his beloved University of Mississippi. Hotty Toddy! He loved college football and baseball, loved crackers and milk (along with a whole host of other questionable food combinations), a good sweater vest, long rides to nowhere in particular, traveling when he had the chance, and scoping out local hole-in-the-wall restaurants.

Richard married his high school sweetheart, Tammy (Morman) at the age of 19 and he never left her side for 47 years. In the good and the bad, they loved and laughed and were loyal to each other in every way. In his last days, Tammy took care of him with all the love, tenderness and care you could ever imagine. He was so grateful, and he told her so every chance he got, as he called himself "King Richard" and lovingly referred to her as "My Queen." Marriage vows meant something to Richard and Tammy, and were true vows, not empty promises, as they showed everyone around them what it meant to love and to cherish in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, til death parted them.

While he truly loved his wife, Richard's first love was Jesus. He grew up in church and heard the gospel his entire life but it wasn't until the age of 20 that he attended a college campus crusade where he came to know Christ as his Savior. From that day forward, he served the Lord in many ways from being a youth pastor to senior pastor to short term missionary. Ultimately, he walked out his faith by being a genuine testimony to the goodness of God as he found contentment by living the life God gave him.

He truly lived a rich and full life and promised us he had no regrets. Richard was father to three children whom he loved very much, but "Poppie" is the title Richard seemed to love the most. He was happy to plan fun times and adventure with his 9 grandchildren. He tried to never miss an opportunity to laugh with them, be with them, talk sports and school and Jesus with them, and to the older boys, he has become a trusted advisor and guide. Richard was a thrill seeker and was always up for an adventure: he loved roller coasters, parasailing and he may or may not be wanted in the Dominican Republic for an incident involving an ATV, speeding, getting lost and then found again, and laughing hysterically with his grandson as he spun tires and made sure he caught up to the group before the tour guide could take the keys.

In his 50s, Richard brought to fruition a vision his daughter had long held onto since she visited India in 1998 at the age of 18. He heard Chris Robin talk about this mysterious and beautiful country for almost 20 years when he felt the call from the Lord to help establish the non-profit Straight Arrows Foundation, dedicated to giving a new, safe, healthy life to orphans. Emma's House, named after his sweet mom, was opened under the Straight Arrows umbrella in 2022 and Richard was thrilled to become Poppie to 7 orphan girls who now have a chance at education, access to healthcare, and the ability to dream about their future. Poppie Richard is known for his "PJs" or "poor jokes" in India, so much to his relief, his jokes translate well. He is loved by his adopted children Nathaniel, Neha, Johnathan and Christine and the precious girls of Emma's house. They may never know how much he loved them.

In addition to his wife, Richard leaves behind his three children and nine grandchildren: Casey Sharp (Jason) and their children Noah, Finn, Andrew, Kenzie and Aurora; Chris Robin Dawes and her sons Hegin and Elijah; and Colby Jenkins (Jessica) and their two sons Corbin and Isaac; sisters Rosemary Smith and Beverly Dodd (Sam); brother Barry Jenkins (Annette); a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and treasured friends who have become family.

Special thanks to Phillips and Johnston for being a wonderful employer for 15 years and for going above and beyond in taking care of Richard and Tammy during his illness; and to Grace Community Church of Maryville, TN for living out the "one anothers" and being the hands and feet of Jesus.

The family will receive friends and family for visitation on December 31, 2024 from 6 - 8pm at McKibben and Guinn Funeral Services, Grenada, MS. A service to celebrate Richard's life will be held on January 1, 2025 at 11:00 am at McKibben and Guinn with burial immediately to follow at Red Hill Cemetery at 297 Red Hill Road, Duck Hill, MS.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Straight Arrows Foundation, 210 New Englewood Rd, Unit 2, Athens, TN 37303.

You are encouraged to share a memory of Richard and/or your personal condolences with his family by visiting his memorial webpage and guestbook at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral Home and the Cody family are honored to assist his family with these arrangements.