Dr. Don Edwin Jenrette Jr. (Capt. Usaf, Ret.)

Dr. Don E. Jenrette, Jr. passed away on Monday, November 9, 2020, at the Medical Center Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia. He was 69 years old.

Born on June 26, 1951, at the Jacksonville Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Jenrette was the son of the late Don Edwin Jenrette, Sr. and Kathleen “Kitty” (Smith) Jenrette. He spent his formative years in Adel, Georgia, where he graduated from Cook High School in 1970. A few short years later in 1975, while stationed at Robins Air Force Base, he shared a dance with Linda Faye Brown at the Airmen’s club; exactly one year to the day from that first dance the two began their 44 year marriage. Along the way, they had three children to whom he was an amazing and always encouraging father and those children gave him one of the titles he cherished most, that of PaPa to his five grandchildren. He had a heart for others and will be remembered for being able to find just the right words to soothe a hurting spirit in a moment of need. The word joyful is one that is often used to describe him, and it certainly fits. Dr. Jenrette was a true character who never met a stranger, loved to laugh, and never tired of talking!

A proud Vietnam War era veteran and a retired Captain of the United States Air Force, Dr. Jenrette was in the military for 24 years and served during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. After his retirement from the Air Force, he continued to honor his country as a civilian at Robins Air Force Base for an additional 19 years. In 2004, he earned his first Doctorate Degree in Education from the University of Georgia (GO DAWGS) and worked as an adjunct faculty member for Macon State College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the Robins Air Force Base Campus. More recently, in 2017 he obtained a second Doctorate Degree in Ministry from Andersonville Theological Seminary. Dr. Jenrette was a devoted and beloved member of Sandy Valley Baptist Church in Warner Robins where he invested many years as a deacon and six years as an Associate Pastor sharing his love for the Lord at every opportunity.

In addition to his parents, Dr. Jenrette is preceded in death by son-in-law, Ryan Williams; and brother, John Cole.

Left to mourn his passing and cherish his legacy are his wife of 44 years, Linda Faye (Brown) Jenrette of Bonaire; two daughters, Jennifer Shepley (Joe) of Concord, North Carolina; and Roxanne Williams of Bonaire; son, Don Edwin “Doc” Jenrette III, (Ashley) of Perry; five grandchildren, Tre and Jacob Shepley, Madison Williams, and Sophie and Tucker Jenrette; siblings, Laura Jean Carioggia of Chicago; Susan Jones of Tifton; Jane Moore of Doerun; Scott Jenrette of San Antonio; Sheryl Ott of Middleburg, Florida; Brian Jenrette of Colorado Springs; and Bruce Jenrette of Orange Park, Florida.

A visitation will be held at McCullough Funeral Home on Thursday evening, November 12, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held at Southside Baptist Church on Friday, November 13, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Phil Bryant officiating. Afterward, Dr. Jenrette will be laid to rest at Andersonville National Cemetery with full military honors.

For friends unable to attend at this time, the service will be streamed live via the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcculloughfuneralhome/live/.

Honorary pallbearers are current and former deacons of Sandy Valley Baptist Church. Active pallbearers are nephews, Scotty Brown, Dustin Brown, Jason Strickland, Michael Brown, and William Fisher.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests memorial donations be given in memory of Dr. Don Edwin Jenrette Jr. to the Sandy Valley Baptist Church Building Fund, 1124 South Houston Lake Road, Warner Robins, Georgia 31088.

McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.