MARGERY JENKINS Obituary

JENKINS, Margery Null Passed away, January 30, 2026, in Naples, Florida. She was born on February 7, 1934, to Harold and Hortense Null in Wichita, Kansas. She had two brothers, Eric and Bruce Null. All of her immediate family preceded her in death. Known by "Mimes" to her grandchildren, she was a loyal, loving and nurturing matriarch of our family. She always had the right words or actions to support her children without fostering dependence. She believed in meeting challenges in life from a position of strength. It was with that strength that she led our family. She attended public schools in Kansas and got her Bachelors of Science in teaching from the University of Kansas, "Rock-Chalk-Jayhawk-K-U," where as a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority, she met her husband, Dr. John D. Dougherty. They married and moved to Fayetteville, NC, where she started her career as a teacher to support her husband while he finished medical school. Later, they moved to Hawaii, where John finished his residency at Tripler Army hospital. At home, she was known for her love of cooking and gardening. As a horticulturist, she grew a Christmas Cactus that won a category blue ribbon each year she entered it into the Boston amateur flower show. While she was living in Hawaii, she took a course in Chinese cooking, a skill which profoundly broadened her palate and led to an incredible volunteer gig assisting with food prep on Julia Child's cooking show in Boston; which ultimately created the opportunity to host and cook Steak Diane for none other than the legendary famous chef. Margery created memories in the kitchen sharing her culinary skills with her children and grandchildren. As an athlete, she swam on her college swim team, and her skills in the pool opened a door for her to become a professional swimmer as one of film star Ester Williams' mermaids for her show at the famous Royal Hawaiian hotel on Oahu. It was there, on Oahu, where she gave birth to her first son, John Brooks Dougherty. Later, when she and her family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, she gave birth to her second son, Andrew Thompson Dougherty. After Texas, Margery moved East and she fit right in within Boston's social circles. Her ability to foster relationships led to leadership roles in the Junior League of Boston. Later, when she and her family moved to Cohasset, she became one of the most respected real estate brokers on the South Shore. It was while living in Cohasset, she met her second husband, John Anthony Jenkins "JJ" and moved to Arizona to begin the next chapter in her life. After JJ's passing, she decided to be closer to her children and moved back to New England and finally to Florida. She is survived by her two sons: J. Brooks Dougherty of Milford Connecticut and Andrew T. Dougherty (Gigi) of Marco Island, FL. She is also survived by her grandchildren: David (Samantha), Caroline (Niels Jakob), Thomas, Andrew (Kelly), Kristin (Anthony), Brooks Jr. and India. Family and friends are invited to Celebrate Margery's Life on Saturday, February 28, at 11AM, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church on Marco Island, FL, 1101 North Collier Ave., with luncheon to follow. Friends and family can send flowers. May her memory be eternal.

View the online memorial for Margery Null JENKINS