Joan Edith (Porter) Jenkins of Williamsburg, Virginia passed away at age 84 on May 10, 2026 with her family by her side at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia.
Joan was born in Alameda County, California on March 1, 1942 as the first of three daughters to Edward Clothier Porter and Agnes Mary Rubadue. She graduated from the San Francisco College for Women in 1963.
Later that year she was united in marriage to Lieutenant Kenneth Edward Jenkins at Old St. Mary’s Church in San Francisco, California. Joan and Ken began their family overseas when Ken was stationed in Neu Ulm, Germany with the U.S. Army. Their children, Kenneth MacKenzie Jenkins II and Kerry Morgen Jenkins, were born in Augsburg, Germany.
Joan dedicated the next years to raising her young children, often alone as Ken served two tours in Vietnam in the late 60’s. Joan loved the years the family spent at Fort Shafter, Hawaii in the early 70’s, particularly time spent on Waikiki Beach and the lifestyle of Hawaii. While there, she completed her Nursing Degree from the University of Hawaii. In the following years, Ken’s military career took the family to Fort Bragg (North Carolina), and Fort Monroe (Virginia).
Later in life, Joan and Ken both worked at Hampton Roads Academy. Joan worked in both the admissions and guidance offices.
Joan enjoyed playing bridge online, lunching with dear friends with whom she maintained lifelong relationships, attending her grandsons’ baseball games and genealogical research for the family tree. She was a devoted grandmother, “Gigi,” to four grandsons, Aidan MacKenzie Jenkins, Teague McKeon Jenkins, Victor Hernandez and Alexis Hernandez. She is survived by these grandchildren, as well as her son Kenny (Lauren) of Williamsburg, Virginia and daughter Kerry (Victor) of Tijeras, New Mexico, and two sisters, Kathy Gualtieri of Los Altos, California and Carol Porter of Sunnyvale, California.
A graveside memorial service will be held at Williamsburg Memorial Park on June 9 at 2pm, where she will be laid to rest.
