J. Russell Jennings, 66, died on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at his home
in Lakin. He was born on May 23, 1955 at Buffalo, New York the son of
James P. & Jeanne (Beiber) Jennings. He married Judy Besecker on
May 25, 1980 in McPherson, Kansas.
Russ graduated from Tonawanda, New York High School and the Spartan
School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Oklahoma. He went to work at the
Stanton County airport in Johnson as a mechanic and pilot. In 1977 he
was a Graduate of General Law Enforcement Officer Training & Police
Management from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson
and became a Deputy Sheriff and later Undersheriff for the Kearny
County Sheriff Department in Lakin.
In 1981 he attended the University of Nevada at Reno National Judicial
College and was a Graduate in Limited Jurisdiction General, Alcohol
Drugs and the Courts, Contracts and Damages. He became the District
Magistrate Judge for the State of Kansas-Judicial Branch for Kearny
County District Court. He took classes at Garden City Community College
and then graduated from Friends University in Wichita with his Bachelor
of Science Undergraduate Degree with highest honors in Human Resource
Management. At this time he became the Director for the Southwest
Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Garden City.
In 2011 he accepted the position of Commissioner of Juvenile Justice for
the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority under Governors Kathleen Sebelius
and Mark Parkinson. In the election of 2012, he was elected as State
Representative of the 122nd District and currently was serving his 5th
term. Russ was well known for his work on corrections and juvenile
justice issues and has been the Chair of the House Corrections Committee
for the last 3 sessions. During this time, he also has been a Contract
Consultant for Performance-based Standards of Braintree, Massachusetts.
Russ was involved in local and state boards and committees starting in
1979 as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Kansas Peace Officers
Association. He served 3 years as an Appointee of the Kansas
Corrections Ombudsman Board, 13 years as Legislative Committee Chairman,
Education Committee Chairman and later Vice-President and President of
the Kansas District Magistrate Judges Association. For 11 years he was a
Criminal Justice Advisory Board Member at Garden City Community College
and 2 years as Juvenile Justice Committee Chairman and member of the
Kansas Corrections Association. In 1996 he was appointed by Chief
Justice Kay McFarland as a member of the Juvenile Intake and Assessment
Advisory Committee for the Kansas Supreme Court.
He served 8 years on the Lakin City Council from 1997 to 2005. In 1997
Governor Bill Graves appointed him as a Board Member of both the Kansas
Advisory
Group on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and the Kansas Youth Authority Board.
Russ became very involved with Leadership Kansas through the Kansas
Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was a 1998 Graduate of the program.
From 2002 to 2009, he served as State Program Director, Board of
Trustees member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
He also served the State of Kansas as a board member of the Kansas Sex
Offender Policy Board, Kansas Substance Abuse Policy Board and Kansas
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. He served as a board member of
the Criminal Justice Advisory Board at Washburn University.
Russ was the 2009 Distinguished Service to Kansas Children Award honoree
of the Kansas Children’s Service League, the 2009 Outstanding
Administrator Award honoree of the Council of Juvenile Corrections
Administrators. In 2010 he was named Kansas Alumnus of the Year for
Leadership Kansas.
When he wasn’t working, he spent time at his beloved lake house at
Kanopolis Lake fishing and spending quality time with his family. Russ
also enjoyed spending countless hours tending to his lawn to ensure it
was in pristine condition.
He is survived by his Wife- Judy Jennings, 2 Sons- Joseph Jennings of
Topeka, James Jennings of Lakin, 2 Daughters- Julie Jennings of Kansas
City, Missouri and Jodie (Jennings) Werth and husband Leighton Werth of
Hays, 2 Brothers- James P. Jennings II of Bellevue, Washington and Carl
E. Jennings of Buffalo, New York and 2 Grandsons- Carter Werth and Wyatt
Werth both of Hays.
Funeral Service will be at 10:30 AM Saturday, November 6 at United
Methodist Church in Lakin with Rev Rita Stockton officiating. The
service will be livestreamed on the Garnand Funeral Home Facebook page.
Following the service there will be a reception and lunch at the 4-H
Building at the Kearny County Fairgrounds. A private burial will be in
Lakin Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to PBS Education and Employment
Foundation (Performance Base Standard) or Western Kansas Child Advocacy
Center both in care of Garnand Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted
at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com