Judge Barnard F. Jennings – Aug 25, 1925 – Sept. 24, 2016

JENNINGS Judge Barnard F. Jennings Passed away peacefully at his home on September 24, 2016 at the age of 91. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 67 years, Nancy Lee; his daughter, Tricia Kincheloe and her husband John of Clifton, VA.; sister, Adelaide J. Smith and her husband Frisby of Wytheville, VA.; sister Evelyn J. Taylor of Baltimore, MD.; sister-in-law, Roberta H. Huntt of Wytheville, VA.; brother-in-law, A. Courtney Guild of Louisville, KY.; five nephews; one niece; and numerous great-nieces and nephews. Judge Jennings was born August 2, 1925 in Johnson City, TN. He grew up in Southwest Virginia, and graduated from Richlands High School in 1942. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps one summer during the Depression. He enrolled in Virginia Polytechnic Institute where he was a member of the undefeated freshman football squad. He left V. P. I. at the beginning of his junior year and enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was a top turret gunner on a B-24 “Liberator” bomber as a member of the 13th Air Force, 424th Bombardment Squadron, 307th Bombardment Group and was stationed in Morotai in the Dutch East Indies. He flew 44 missions in the Pacific theater over the Bismarck Archipelago, China, the Philippines and New Guinea. He was awarded an Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon with 5 bronze stars, a Philippine Liberation Ribbon, an Air Medal with 3 clusters, a good conduct medal and clasp and an Overseas Bar. He was discharged in October, 1945 as a Staff Sergeant. Upon returning home, he enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he played football. He graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. He graduated from George Washington University Law School in 1950. He was an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for three years beginning in 1952 and then joined the law firm which eventually became Kelly, Jennings, Louk and Farley. He was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Fairfax Town Council and then elected to continue filling that seat. On April 1, 1964 he was recommended by the Fairfax County Bar and elected by the Virginia State Legislature to serve as a Circuit Court Judge. He was appointed as Chief Circuit Court Judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit in 1975. He was instrumental in the planning, design and building of the Fairfax County Judicial Center. The building was dedicated on September 11, 1982 and named the Jennings Building in his honor. Judge Jennings retired from the bench on December 31, 1987, but continued to serve as a Substitute Judge and presided over cases throughout the state. He hoped to hear a case in every county in Virginia. Even though he did not achieve this goal, he did try cases in the vast majority of the jurisdictions within Virginia. He was an early member of the Shillelagh’s Travel Club, a member of the Country Club of Fairfax since the late 1950s, a Past President and a Paul Harris Fellow of the Fairfax Rotary Club, a member of the VFW Post #8469, the Fairfax Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, the American Bar Association and Fairfax United Methodist Church. At various times he served on the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Fairfax, George Mason Bank and the Virginia portion of United Bank. In his spare time he enjoyed working in his vegetable garden, traveling to foreign countries, flying small planes, riding his Harley-Davidson, spending evenings by the fireplace with family and friends and having a very dry martini. A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2016 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Demaine Funeral Home, 10565 Main Street, Fairfax, VA . 22030. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, October 7, 2016 at 11 a.m. at the Fairfax United Methodist Church, 10300 Stratford Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22030 with interment to follow at the Fairfax Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Fairfax United Methodist Church or to Optum Hospice, 12018 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 400, Reston, Virginia 20191.