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Eclectic Collector

When you walked into the apartment of John C. Jenkins, you had to beware of the toasters. The floor was littered with them.

No, he wasn't a toast fanatic. He collected things: old coffee pots, glassware, copies of the New York Times Magazine (he had all the issues going back about 20 years). He collected anything (pots, knives) that had handles made of Bakelite, an early plastic. He would tell friends that if you rubbed a Bakelite handle, it smelled like Vaseline, because it was petroleum-based.

"The degree of clutter in his apartment was remarkable," said Jeff Levy, a friend. "You could barely move."

Mr. Jenkins, 45, lived in Cambridge, Mass., and was operations manager for Charles River Associates. He was on his way to the Charles River office in Los Angeles on Sept. 11, aboard Flight 11.

One aspect that friends most relished about Mr. Jenkins was his knack for finding humor in just about anything. He once worked as the administrator of an architectural firm that was opening a new office, and the architects were fastidious about making it perfect. Once they moved in, they found out that a dance studio was above them, and no one could get any work done because of the constant thumping. He thought that was hilarious.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 30, 2001.

John C. Jenkins, office manager; 45

By Globe Staff, 9/17/2001

John C. Jenkins of Cambridge, a corporate office services manager for Charles River Associates, was killed Tuesday in the crash of American Airlines Flight 11 in New York. He was 45. Mr. Jenkins joined the company in May 2000 and quickly became instrumental in managing the firm's domestic and international office start-ups. Before joining CRA, he held management positions at ADD Inc.; Heidlage & Reece, P.C.; Commonvest Associates Trust; Landmark Foundation; and Palmer & Dodge, LLP. Mr. Jenkins attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was a member of the Association of Legal Administrators, the International Association of Facilities Managers, the Boston Legal Operations Group, and the Greater Boston Business Council. He leaves his mother, Florence Deatherage of Kentucky; and two brothers, James of Ohio, and Jeff of Kentucky. A memorial service will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Boston.

Editorial Obituary published in THE BOSTON GLOBE on 9/17/2001.