John Jensen, 75 of Las Cruces NM passed away at Mesilla Valley Hospice on December 14,2024 after a short battle with acute myeloid leukemia. He was preceded in death by his parents Ann (Blessent) and Roy Jensen of East Brooklyn, Illinois. John is survived by his wife Marilyn, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Nina, granddaughter Keira, brother James, sister-in-law Devereaux, niece Corinne, nephew Bryce, niece-in-law Kim, and grandniece Rayna Jensen.After graduating from Gardner-South Wilmington High School, John attended the University of Illinois Urban-Champaign where he was enrolled in ROTC. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, John was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force.After military service, John began his career in civil service at Vandenburg Air Force Base California, advancing to positions at Air Force Headquarters in Washington DC, and later White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico where he began as Chief of Site Engineering and Operations for the Ground Based Laser Project. John was later promoted to Director of the Systems Test and Assessment Directorate at the White Sands Test Center. After retiring from civil service, John became president of Southwest Range Services, a company providing mission support services to White Sands Missile Range. John was on the board of directors of the International Foundation for Telemetering, a non-profit organization that promotes scientific and technical growth and educational support in the form of scholarships, fellowships, and academic programs in telemetry-related subjects at a number of colleges and universities. He instituted and oversaw establishment of the endowment that created the Telemetering and Telecommunications professorship at New Mexico State University in the department of Electrical Engineering. John served as a volunteer from 1996 to 2024, working long hours on the committee for the International Telemetry Conference, the foundation’s annual educational and fundraising event.John loved spending time with his granddaughter. He also enjoyed working with his hands and could fix almost anything. His favorite pastime was playing in poker tournaments, and he wasan annual participant the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He won many individual casino tournaments all over the country. In 2016, he placed third at the Arizona State Poker Championship outlasting 1,507 other players.Thank you to the medical staff at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix AZ and Mesilla Valley Hospice in Las Cruces NM for their professional care. Special thanks to Father George for his comforting words and blessings at this difficult time. We would also like to thank Chad at Getz Funeral Home for his caring friendship and assistance. John will be laid to rest at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Will County, Illinois at 2:30pm on February 3, 2025.
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