Kathleen "Kathy" Faulkner Jenkins, 73, of Milton, FL passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

Kathy was the second of three children born to Mary Elizabeth Barrineau Faulkner and Charles Edward Faulkner on November 9, 1951 in Pensacola, FL. She met her husband of 36 years, Michael Steven "Steve" Jenkins, at the age of 14 at Ferry Pass Junior High School. They graduated from Woodham High School in 1969, married in 1974, and had four children that they loved very much. Kathy earned her master's degree in biology from the University of West Florida and was a National Board-Certified Teacher who taught science at Pine Forest High School for 34 years until her retirement in 2016.

Kathy enjoyed reading, walking nature trails, identifying/caring for plants, listening to/watching birds, her many cats, and discussing her thoughts on life and the world with all of those who loved her. She was a passionate educator and lifelong scientist who also loved to learn about other cultures, countries and languages and traveled the world promoting education and empathy as part of the People to People program. Kathy embraced the natural world: plants, animals, and humans alike. "There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."-Charles Darwin, Origin of the Species.

Kathy is preceded in death by her husband, Steve Jenkins, her father, Charles Faulkner, her mother, Mary Elizabeth Barrineau Faulkner, Aunt Sarah Creel, Uncle Harvey H. "Bubba" Barrineau Jr., sister-in-law Donna Jenkins, niece Emily Jenkins, and many loved, extended family members. She is survived by her four children, Joshua (Ann) Jenkins of Tennessee, James (Kara) Jenkins of Pensacola, Rachael (Ricky) Downs of Milton, and Rebecca (Michael) Thomas of Alabama; her nine grandchildren, Isabelle and Jonathan Jenkins, Isaac Jenkins, Alexis and Carson Downs, Madison, Cole, Benjamin, and Margot Thomas; one great grandchild, Kaselynn Hanson; two siblings, Ronnie Faulkner of Kentucky and David (Teresa) Faulkner of Florida; sisters-in-law Carolyn (Randy) Rohr of Pace and Suzanne (Jimmy) Olvany of Gulf Breeze, her brother-in-law Dwight Jenkins of Tennessee , and many extended family members whom she loved.

Friends and family are invited to gather for visitation from 9am-10am on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with funeral services following at 10am. Interment at Barrineau Family Cemetery will immediately follow.

Pallbearers are Joshua Jenkins, James Jenkins, Ricky Downs, Michael Thomas, Carson Downs and Cole Thomas. Honorary pallbearers are David Dumas, Ronnie Faulkner and David Faulkner.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Vitas Hospice of Pensacola. Special thanks to Vitas Hospice of Sacred Heart Hospital and the many caregivers and nurses who provided care and support in her final days.