Obituaries

Ethel Jenkins, 88, Worked for Leukemia Society of America

Jenkins was a master seamstress who made many of her children's clothes as well as designing and creating her own patterns.

Ethel M. Jenkins, age 88, of Langhorne Manor died peacefully in her sleep on October 18, 2013 following a lengthy illness.

Born in Philadelphia, Ethel has been a resident of Langhorne Manor for the past 54 years and in recent months resided at The Brunswick at Attleboro. She was a 1943 graduate of Frankford High School in Philadelphia. Ethel worked in various administrative positions culminating as an Executive Assistant at the former Edgecomb Steel Corporation. Ethel left the business world to become a homemaker and raise her family. Later in life, she worked at Levine’s Fabrics and was Office Manager for the Bucks County office of the Leukemia Society of America for several years prior to retirement.

Mom was a very spiritual woman and a deep thinker who sought continual knowledge in a vast array of areas. She was extremely talented and creative with handcrafts including knitting, crocheting, papercrafts, painting and design. She was a master seamstress who shared those talents with others, especially her children, by making many of their childhood clothes as well as designing and creating her own patterns. Many times if you dropped in her home you would find store-bought clothes in disarray after being totally ripped apart so she could re-fit them or change the design. She continued doing this for most her life up until illness prevented her from doing so.

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Ethel was also a member of the Middletown Senior Citizens Center and participated in the Red Hats Society prior to her illness. As we could expect, she designed and made all of her own hats and outfits for the various events she attended.

Ethel was married to her husband, Bill Jenkins for 53 years prior to his death in 2002. Together they were the parents to three daughters, grandparents to six, and have one great granddaughter. Ethel is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Carol A. Johnston (Bob) of Levittown, Christine L. McCarney (Bob) of Levittown, and Barbara E. Cooper (Bill) of Doylestown. She is also survived by one sister, Doris Brown of Buckingham, a brother, David A. Myers of Bensalem; her six grandchildren, Bobby, Brian, Robert (“Bobby”, fiancée Laura), Michael (“Mike”), Sarah, Stephanie, great granddaughter, Jennifer and several nieces and nephews.

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The family extends their appreciation to her care-givers over these last months and especially our gratitude to Bernice (“Oprah”), for her kindness and dedication to our mom.

Family and friends are invited to call Sunday, October 27 from 12:30 until 1:30 p.m. at the James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 2200 Trenton Rd., Levittown where her memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. It was Ethel’s wish that cheerful colors be worn in celebration of her life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.


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