Peter W. Jenke

Peter W. Jenke, 85, passed away peacefully at his home on December 16. He was born on May 14, 1938, in Poessneck, Germany, to Richard and Liesbeth Jenke. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1953 with his parents and younger siblings: brother Rainer Jenke (Mary Nell), who predeceased him, and sister Veronika Jenke (Robert Stockho). He graduated from Huntsville High School, playing the piano for the choir and his own graduation, and from Newberry College with a B.S. in Math and a minor in Religion, where he met his wife of 58 years, Carolyn. Peter reared his family in Huntsville, and was the organist of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church for 25 years. He was an accomplished pianist and organist, and shared his lifelong love of music with his family. His father, Richard, was a prominent member of the Von Braun rocket team, and Peter himself supported the space flight program at Boeing early in his career. Peter retired from Intergraph in 2000, after a long career in the computer sciences. He and Carolyn spent many, many joyful Springs and Summers in Highlands, NC, where they enjoyed a community of friends, and hosted grand adventures for their grandchildren. Peter especially enjoyed the hummingbirds that visited their NC cabin every summer, making sure to feed them every morning and afternoon. He is survived by his wife Carolyn; his sister Veronika; his children Erika Huber (Guenther) and Peter Jenke (Laura Lynn Hardy); and two grandchildren, Joshua and Natalie.  

A service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 202 Gordon Drive, Decatur, on Wednesday, December 20, at 2:30pm, with a visitation at the Church at 1:30pm prior to the service. Memorials may be sent to St. John’s Episcopal Church, in support of the Music Ministry. https://stjohnsdecatur.dioala.org/online-giving.html