Obituary of Glenn Arnold Jenks

GLENN ARNOLD JENKS passed away at Maine Medical Center on 21 January 2016. He was born in Boston on 9 February 1947 to Edwin H. Jenks and Nancy (Arnold) Jenks. Glenn grew up in Wellesley, MA where he graduated from local schools. As a teen he studied at the Wellesley branch of the NE Conservatory and went on to graduate Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in music from Earlham College in Richmond, IN. Glenn taught in private schools for three years before embarking on a career as a solo performer of folk music and ragtime, and in 1975 he joined Jud Strunk as a guitarist and vocalist, touring for 3 years all across North America. He returned to solo performance in 1978 and in 1979 made the first of nine recordings. During the 1980s Glenn was frequently associated with the New Vaudeville revival and enjoyed working with many talented performers as their piano accompanist. For 11 years he produced the annual harvest Ragtime Review in Camden. He was an enthusiastic fixture on the ragtime circuit working at numerous international ragtime festivals, known for his energetic playing, versatility and unflagging good spirits. He retired from the road several years ago and happily focused his attention on his private instruction in piano and music theory. Glenn was an excellent teacher and treasured his students and their successes. His first composition at age 12 was followed by many other works including dozens of sophisticated pieces in the ragtime idiom as well as classical chamber works, songs and other works for solo piano. A photo taken of Glenn when he was about 2 years old gives an indication of the powerful influence of music. He is seated on a piano bench, in diapers, hands poised correctly over the keys ready to perform! He also conducted to the William Tell Overture in front of the family phonograph before his 2nd birthday! Since 1975, Glenn had resided in Camden, Maine where he married Faith P. Getchell in 1981. He had a deep love of learning and teaching and was able to impart knowledge easily. His smile and rich laughter engaged people instantly. His lifelong interest in bird watching bound him to childhood friends who shared his enthusiasm. It poured out to over the community as he’d pull out the scope from the car in front of the post office to share views of a pair of peregrines on the church steeple across the street. Glenn was a fine gardener, favoring his roses! He planted his first rose garden at his childhood home in his early teens. Glenn was a great cook and loved to share food with his treasured family and friends. Each May would find him at the family beach house at York Beach with closest childhood friends, his father and step mother up from Florida, his sister Abbie and her two sons. The old house would rock with laughter and music. He loved the outdoors. He and Faith loved walking together, his binoculars at the ready. He will be sadly missed and happily remembered as a great lover of life. Glenn is predeceased by his mother, Nancy and his aunt Margaret Arnold. He is survived by his wife, Faith Getchell; his father, Ted and his stepmother Donna (Baum); his sister Abbie Jenks and her sons Colin and Benjamin and his wife Chelsea; his aunt Margaret Worthman and her daughters, Betsy Geist and Susan Worthman; nieces Sara Page, Marilyn Gray, Melanie Gray and a nephew Seth Gray; brothers-in-law Ned and Will Getchell; sister-in-law Ann Gray. Memorial donations may be made to Merryspring Horticultural Park in Camden, Maine or Bay Chamber in Rockport, ME. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled for May. Arrangements are under the care of Direct Cremation of Maine, 182 Waldo Avenue, Belfast. Memories and condolences may be offered to the family at www.directcremationofmaine.com. The Celebration of Life is being held at the Camden Opera House on Saturday, 21 May at 2:30. Guests are welcome to visit together with remembrances in the Kay Tucker Room and the banquet rooms where light fare will be provided after the program. As a tribute to Glenn guests may bring a bag of his favorite cookies (Pepperidge Farm) for the cookie tables. Be ready to sing along!