John R. Jennings passed away at UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., on July 1, 2022.
John was born in Morgantown, but called many places home over the years, most recently residing in Orange, Va. He attended Morgantown High School and West Virginia University. John flew his solo flight at Morgantown Municipal Airport on his 16th birthday, igniting a lifelong love of aviation.
John joined the U.S. Army at age 17 and spent time stationed in Korea and various bases stateside before serving two tours in the Vietnam War.
John met his wife Martha in Oklahoma City, Okla., and the two were married in 1964 at age 19. He worked as an A&P mechanic for Braniff Airlines and returned to Morgantown with his family, serving as airport manager at the Morgantown Airport from 1970-1977, while also earning his degree from West Virginia University. He served as assistant airport manager in Charleston from 1978-79 before reenlisting in the Army, where he served as a member of the Criminal Investigative Department until leaving active duty in 1985. During active duty, John and his family spent many years in Germany and at several bases in the U.S. In 1985, John left active duty, remaining in the Army Reserves, served active duty at Fort Campbell, Ky., during Operation Desert Storm.
He served as assistant airport manager of Evansville Regional Airport from 1985-96 and as airport manager in Cumberland, Md., from 1996-2004. Throughout his career, John worked independently as an A&P and IA aircraft mechanic, spending many hours at airports, and logging many hours in his own planes during his leisure time. He was a member of the Navion Society and even hosted a national fly-in for the club in Evansville, Ind.
Upon retirement, John and his wife, Martha, spent several years in Maine before retiring to The Villages, Fla.
John was preceded in death by his parents, John Edward and Josephine Jennings and his wife of
53 years, Martha Jo Jennings.
He is survived by his sons, David Clay Jennings, John Michael Jennings; his daughter and son-in-law, Angela and Samuel Olds; granddaughter, Delilah Olds; and sister, Nancy Zablotsky.
Services for John will take place on Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church,
19 Jo Glen Drive, Morgantown.
