YARMOUTH – William K. Jenson, M.D., 97, died early Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 26, 2020 at BaySquare Assisted Living in Yarmouth.

“Doc Bill”, as he was known during his time in Wyoming, was born in 1923 in Lewiston, Mont. to James and Helen Jenson, the youngest of four children. He spent his childhood years in Denton, Mont. and Colby, Kan. where his father was a beloved general practitioner. He attended the University of Kansas, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, enrolling in the fall of 1941.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he achieved the rank of Ensign before returning to KU in the V12 program. There he met Norma Jean, a Theta in Vocal Performance, whom he married in 1946. They moved to Philadelphia where Bill studied medicine at Jefferson Medical College. He and Norma went to London, England for his Fellowship in Medicine at Guys Hospital.

He had a long and successful career in internal medicine in academic, clinical, and administrative roles including faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Jefferson Medical College, UCSD, and the Ministry of Defense and Aviation Hospitals in Saudi Arabia, as well as Veterans Administration positions in San Diego, Calif. and Walla Walla, Wash. He lost Norma to breast cancer in 1992.

In 1994 he married Joan Sargent from Wichita, Kan. and they lived in both Wichita and LaJolla, Calif. They had the support of Bill’s daughter, Cindy Jenson-Elliott when in LaJolla, Calif. Bill lived at Larksfield Place in Wichita, Kan. for three years, prior to moving 15 months ago, to Yarmouth, to be near his daughter, Laurie dePaolo and her husband Peter.

Bill enjoyed sculpting, photography, listening to big band jazz, and reading history, philosophy, and medical articles.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Norma; and his three siblings.

He is survived by his wife, Joan and her children and their families; his four children, Laurie, Julie, Jim, and Cindy, their spouses, Peter, Florence, Deborah, and Chris; four grandchildren, Emery, Cole, Ronan, and Eddy; nieces, and cousins.

His family would like to especially thank the staffs at Larksfield Place, BaySquare at Yarmouth, and Compassus Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care.

An Interment of Ashes Service will be held at St. James-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in LaJolla, Calif. at a later, post-COVID date.

Donations may be sent to St. Francis Ministries (https://saintfrancisministries.org).

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