James "Jim" R. Jenkins

James “Jim” R. Jenkins, age 88, of Freeport passed away on April 6, 2025.

He was born on December 12, 1936, to Ed & Martha (“Mardy”) Jenkins and lived his entire life in Freeport. Jim attended St Joseph’s Catholic Grade School for grades 1-8 and attended Aquin High School, graduating in 1954.

Jim played on Aquin’s football, basketball and baseball teams and worked weekends and summers at his father’s business, Jenkins Service Body Co. After graduation, he worked at the business with his father, and his brother Larry joined the business two years later. In 1961, Jim & Larry bought the business when Ed & Mardy moved to Merrimac, WI.

On July 8, 1961 Jim married Lynda (Raih) Jenkins. In 1964, Jim & Lynda bought the business from Larry and moved it to 501 W Main St. Jim’s oldest son, Mike, started work at the shop in the afternoons of his junior-senior years of high school. In 1972, Ed & Mardy moved back to Freeport and Ed worked for the business until two weeks before his passing in 1999. Mike worked full-time after graduating Aquin in ’73 until his passing in an auto accident in January 1976. In April 2024, Jim & Lynda closed the business and sold the building.

Jim’s love of sports carried over to his adult life, as he played in many local sports leagues: flag football, basketball and fast-pitch softball, until turning to 35-and-over 16-inch softball in his late 30’s. He also sponsored and played on a bowling team for many years.

Jim’s dedication to the Aquin schools and their sports programs are legendary and unmatched. He started coaching basketball in the Church League in 1962 and continued coaching in the Catholic Schools for 56 years. In 1977, he became the head coach of the Aquin Jr High 8th grade team and remained as coach until 2018. He became the Aquin Jr High Athletic Director in 1975 and performed those duties for 41 straight years. He was also an assistant football coach at Aquin Jr High for 25 years and coached his four sons in baseball for a total of 26 years, including two teams the same year. All his years as coach and AD were on a volunteer basis.

In 2016, the gymnasium where Aquin Jr High played their games (St Joseph School) was named “Coach Jenkins ‘Jim’nasium”. In 2018, Jim was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Lynda’s birthday. He won over 1,000 games and his teams won more Tournament of Champions in the Rockford Diocese Tournament than any other school.

Jim’s greatest love was his family. He & Lynda attended all of their kids’ games, events, and performances and carried that tradition on with their grandchildren. In 1989 they bought a central Wisconsin lakefront cabin and enjoyed spring through autumn weekends there. Their boats pulled their kids, grandkids and many other visitors on skis and tubes.

He was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus and the Eagles Club. He became a Chicago Cubs fan at age 8 while listening to the 1945 World Series and followed the Cubs for the rest of his life.

Jim is survived by his wife, Lynda, and their four children: Jaime (Dale) Houghton, and Bret, Craig, and Ryan Jenkins, and six grandchildren: Krystle Hill, Jace Jenkins, Brooke Jenkins, Ashtyn Jenkins, James Houghton, and Grace Houghton, one great-grandchild: Connor Hill, and nieces: Jodie (Ken) Bollman and De Jenkins, as well as the five children of Lynda’s cousin Sue (Mike) Gorman.

Preceding Jim in death were son Mike, Jim’s parents, Lynda’s parents Elmer & Mary Raih, brother Edward Jr, brother Larry, sister-in-law Neta (Hille) Jenkins, sister-in-law Wynne Ralston, and nephew Scott Jenkins.

Funeral mass will be Saturday, April 12, at 10:30 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 229 W Washington Place. Visitation will be Friday from 3-7 PM at the St. Joseph School Gymnasium (across the parking lot from church). Jim’s family encourages visitors to wear their Aquin apparel, as Jim will be wearing his. There will also be a visitation Saturday from 9:30 AM until the funeral mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for: Freeport Catholic Schools. St. Joseph Catholic Church, and Eagles Club 679.

Arrangements are being completed by Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home.