Michael Howard Jennings

June 3, 1975 - November 21, 2014

Michael Howard Jennings, 39, of Albuquerque passed away in his home, November 21, 2014.

He was born June 3, 1975 at Bassett Hospital to Ronald and Edith (Ainslie) Jennings of Cooperstown, NY. He graduated from Cooperstown Central High School in 1994. He attended Tompkins County Community College, and in 2000 he graduated magna cum laude from SUNY Potsdam with degrees in Anthropology, Archeology, and Business.

Upon graduation, he was employed at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest as a Landscape Archeologist, where he worked until 2002. He was then employed as a scientist by the New York State Museum. Until 2007, he worked as a Project Manager for Lone Tree Archeology and Environmental Inc. In 2007 he began work with HDR, Inc., in Albuquerque, where he was the Archeological Project Manager / Marketing Director of Cultural Resources. 

His work took him to several locations, including the South Pacific where he discovered a previously unknown Japanese bunker, Denali National Park in Alaska, and White Sands, New Mexico. He led an archeological survey along the Rio Grande which resulted in the discovery of 22 archeological sites, spanning historic and prehistoric periods of South Texas. He was Project manager in Huoma, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama  and co-lead for the States of Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi and one of several scientists responsible for assisting members of the Shoreline Clean-up Technique team (SCAT) to assess and evaluate cultural resources along the shorelines impacted by the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion.

He authored many articles which were published in several Archeological digests.

He was a member of the American Cultural Resources Association, Lambda Alpha National Collegiate Honors Society for Anthropology, and was a Cultural Resource Consultant for the Historic Preservation Division of the State Historic Preservation Office, Bernalillo County, New Mexico. 

He was very active in his community, and inspired others to do the same. He was very close to people in To'Hajiilee Native American Indian Reservation and ensured that he supported their families and youth. He was passionate about helping them. He coordinated toy drives for the community each year and most recently he coordinated a back to school drive for the students. He was also active with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

He enjoyed restoring antiques and building furniture, many of which he gave to his family as gifts. He was an avid sports fan, and could be found every Sunday watching a game. He was also a talented home-brewer, and enjoyed visiting microbreweries. Michael also enjoyed traveling. His travels took him throughout the US and South America, including Guatemala and Mexico. 

He is survived by his parents, his sister and brother-in-law Teresa and Peter Russo, his nephew and godson Nicholas and his niece and goddaughter Maeghan, of Burglengenfeld, Germany. He is also survived by many loving friends and family around the world. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in Michael’s name to your local SPCA, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, food pantry, or the charity of your choice. 

On Sunday December 7, we will be remembering the life of Michael Jennings. Calling hours will be at the Cooperstown United Methodist Church on Chestnut Street at 1:00, with a service in the sanctuary at 2:00 immediately followed by a reception in the fellowship hall.


If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.