We have been advised of the death of Everett Jenkins of Nowra NSW, on 31 March 2023, aged 95. His family held a private funeral.
Everett was born in Beverly, WA on 20 August 1928 and joined the RAN in October of 1949 as a Recruit Naval Airman for a 12-year engagement, which was subsequently extended. He graduated as a NAM(E) the following year with a good pass (79%) and was posted to HMAS Albatross, with subsequent periods of training at Schofields, Penguin and Nirimba. His first substantive sea posting was aboard HMAS Sydney in September 1953. He subsequently served predominantly at HMAS Albatross (851 and 816 Squadrons) and aboard HMAS Melbourne, rising steadily in rank to Chief Petty Officer (Airframes and Engines).
At the time of Everett’s discharge from RAN (in 1974), the Government had decreed that those who had served for over 20 years would not be signed on again and therefore needed to look for other work.
Everett and his family travelled to Perth during Xmas leave 1974 to visit his parents, where he bought a small Liquor store near by. He owned the store between April 1975 until May 1977, when he sold it to become a Cargo Clerk with Ansett Airline for a couple of years.
Between March of 1979 and February of 1981 he was the proprietor of a caravan park, but then sold it to rejoin Ansett on the engineering side. He had been able to gain some licences due to Naval Service, but had to enrol with TAFE for lectures and examinations to become a fully Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME). He became Licensed on F28 Series aircraft and Nomad Aircraft.
Everett was employed by Ansett as a LAME from 9 March 1981 to 15 August 1993 when he retired at age 65. When he left Ansett he was Leading Hand in charge of the Component Overhaul Section.
In 1993 after leaving Ansett, Everett gained employment with Hawker de Havilland for 9 months as they were calling for Licensed Aircraft Engineers to help train engineers from Air New Guinea to service their own aircraft. He retired permanently after that.
In 1998 he left Perth and relocated to Orange (NSW) where he and his wife Margaret lived for 10 years, before moving back to Nowra to be closer to family.
