John Major Jenkins was optimistic when he went in for surgery for kidney cancer in January; he even said he was doing well after the operation. But sadly, he passed away July 2 at the way too young age of 53. We knew John as a printer, as someone who was very knowledgeable and interested in presses, who regularly came down from Fort Collins for our Depot meetups. He shared blogs with us – which we are reprinting at http://www.letterpressdepot.com/blogs-on-type-presses-history/– on moving his humongous presses. And now he has left to the Depot the Campbell Century Pony press that he wrote about. Wish we still had John instead, but we are grateful to share this treasure.
Nationally, John was known as the author of five books on ancient Mayan cosmology, the meaning of the Mayan calendar and what he called archaeoastronomical research: He was proud of his exploration of the “galactic alignment in the vicissitudes of human history.” In February, his novel went up for sale on his website and Amazon, followed in March by an updated “Journey to the Mayan Underworld.”
John also wrote movingly when his ex-wife died in 2015, acknowledging their ups and downs, but saying “from our first encounter in early 1996 … to our final farewell in early 2015, we loved each other.” In 2015, he also lost his 13+ year-old cat. John said since he didn’t have children, “Tyko was like my little boy, my papa wingnut.” Here are John and Tyko in happier and healthier times.
John leaves behind two brothers, a sister and all the presses he saved and restored, which are now finding new homes with other printers.
John leaves behind two brothers, a sister and all the press he saved and restored which are now finding new homes with other printers.