Timothy Vinton Jens

Timothy Vinton Jens died peacefully and unexpectedly in his home on January 26, 2024. Tim was born September 3, 1941, in Chicago to Elizabeth Lee and Arthur Marx Jens. His family soon moved to Prairie Village, Kansas where his father had been hired by Trans World to improve civil air transportation facilities. After a mass TWA firing by Howard Hughes, the family moved to Glen Ellyn, Illinois and Arthur started work at an insurance brokerage in Chicago. Tim contracted polio in 1949 which paralyzed his leg and remained troublesome throughout his life. The 8-year-old patient won the hearts of everyone in the hospital with his stoic, yet uplifting spirit, earning the nickname, “Little Soldier”. He graduated from Glenbard High School in 1959. He attended Beloit College in Wisconsin and was elected President of Phi Kappa Psi. He graduated from Beloit in 1962 and earned his master’s degree in 1964 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He then took a teaching position in the history department at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, IL. Tim became head of the Glenbrook North Teacher’s Association and led a hard-fought teachers’ strike. He continued teaching until 1976 when he visited Florida and was drawn to the landscape and culture. By the late 70’s, Tallahassee had become his permanent home. There he began a more than 20-year career as a substance abuse counselor at Apalachee Center.

Tim married Carol Ann Donaldson in 1979. Both were resilient survivors. He delighted in her laughter, her feisty “give ‘em hell” spirit, and simple gifts of a beautiful home cooked meal. He exuberantly embraced his new family of five stepchildren who thought they were mostly grown. But it turned out we needed his gentle and healing love, his unwavering support and guidance, and example of what deep, lifelong commitment entails. Tim and Mom stood by one another through all trials. As Mom grew older and her health failed, he cared for her with great compassion and selflessness until her death in 2014. He earned the title of “Dad” and his children remained devoted to him through the end of his life. His love of family grew infinitely as new spouses, partners, and grandchildren joined. His tenderness was most evident when nuzzling a newborn or exploring the world with a small child.

Tim was brazenly authentic, never glossing over the truth. He was honest, direct, and completely open about his own life which helped others let go of guilt and stigma. These qualities made him a profoundly impactful counselor and a wonderful sponsor of people in recovery. He was thoroughly devoted to his clients, refusing promotions that would have removed him from a direct support role. He took joy in their every achievement and remained utterly non-judgmental when they slipped.

Tim was deeply reflective and studied philosophy and spirituality from all corners of the world. He quietly lived out his personal philosophy each day; an unshakeable belief in unconditional love; that conquering fear is the path to peace and harmony, and that humans are inherently good. He had an incredible generosity of spirit that often manifested in financial generosity to friends and strangers alike. He was always striving to “live in the now” and experience life without expectation. Tim perceived God as the simple presence of love in the world. Many turned to him as a spiritual advisor.

Tim was a music aficionado and he approached this with the same open-mindedness that he did in all areas of life. He provided our youngest sister a steady diet of the Rolling Stones and Miles Davis beginning when she was seven. He enjoyed internet access to his favorite artists and exchanged music with his many Facebook fans. He tuned into his rap and metal-loving grandson's online radio show expressing curiosity and positivity about every song played. His greatest recent joy has been attending live performances and hitting the dance floor in his walker. Tim possessed an expert knowledge of literature. When The Brothers Karamazov entered the conversation, you knew you were in for the night. While Tim was a peaceful man, he did enjoy a contentious social or political debate. His keen awareness of current social issues with an historical context brought greater understanding of current societal challenges. He was a strident supporter of human rights and equality for all. He was not beyond breaking rules from time to time, memorably petting the wild ponies at Assateague Island, telling the ranger he would happily pay the fine as a “donation to the ponies”.

Timothy was preceded in death by Carol, his wife of 35 years, a brother, Christopher, and parents, Arthur and Lee. He is survived by five stepchildren; Carrie Bennett (Jim), John Whitworth (Lisa), Mark Whitworth (Michelle), Catherine Whitworth (Steve), and Emily Generes; six grandchildren; Hail, Henry, Kathleen, Timothy, Magdalena, and Jessica; a great-granddaughter, Violet, a brother Jeffrey Jens (Ann), and his beloved calico cat, Kimiko.

The “little soldier” who courageously grew into a self-described “Titan” faced every challenge directly, remaining undefeated until his last day. Timothy Jens will be lovingly remembered for his compassion, kindness, generosity, and deeply thoughtful insights. He was a rare spark of all that is good in humanity.

Timothy’s remains will be interned alongside Carol’s at Meadowood Memorial Park in Tallahassee. Per his wishes, there will be no formal service. Memorial donations may be made to Apalachee Center via https://apalacheecenter.org/donate or to the North Florida Area of Alcoholics Anonymous via Intergroup 5, Inc., PO Box 15486, Tallahassee, FL 32317-5486.