Christopher Slocum Jennison

Christopher Slocum Jennison was born on July 27, 1938, in New York City, to Keith and Emily Jennison. He passed away peacefully on April 15th, 2026.  He grew up in Rockland County, New York and graduated from Spring Valley High School in 1956. Activities in high school included the French Club, the varsity baseball team, the cross-country squad, sports editor of the 1956 high school yearbook, and sportswriter and reporter for the Rockland County Leader newspaper.

Chris graduated from Rutgers University in 1960. At Rutgers he was a member of the Scarlet Rifles Drill Team, a jazz disc jockey for the campus radio station, and sang in the Rutgers Glee Club and the Rutgers University Choir. One of the Choir's performances took place in Carnegie Hall and was conducted by Leonard Bernstein and recorded by Columbia Records.

After graduating from Rutgers, Chris fulfilled his military obligation with a six-month Army Reserve stint and shortly thereafter entered the book publishing business, working his way from sales rep to Publisher at Guilford Press. He worked for several firms during his career, but the last fifteen years at Guilford were by far the most rewarding. Shortly after his retirement, Guilford designated him Publisher Emeritus.

The prominent writers and scholars Chris worked with included Isaac Asimov, Noam Chomsky, Michael Pressley, Zena Sutherland, and E.B. White. Chris also served as guest speaker at several universities, including the U. of Chicago, UCLA, U. of Illinois, twice at the U. of Notre Dame, three times at Rutgers, and four times at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In 2012 Michigan State honored Chris with its annual Crystal Apple Award for Services to Education. Chris taught a one-semester publishing extension course at UCLA, and in 1993 he organized a group of HarperCollins colleagues to travel to the Louis Armstrong Elementary School in Queens, New York, where they tutored and read with an elementary school classroom once a week. At the end of the year Chris and his colleagues hosted a party and each child was given a book. This activity was commended by the Mayor of New York City with a plaque presented to the HarperCollins President at a company-wide assembly.

In 1974 Chris published his first book, a history of baseball in New York during the 1940s and 50s. Nine authored and co-authored books followed, most of them treating baseball history topics. Two books were short-listed for Casey Awards. Numerous signings, readings and radio and TV interviews were conducted. Chris presented three times in the Hall of Fame Bullpen Theater in Cooperstown.

In the spring of 1998 Chris published with Ray Robinson, his frequent co-author, a seventy-five-year anniversary of Yankee Stadium. Chris and Ray were invited to a private tour of the ballpark. Ray was unable to attend, but Chris took full advantage and ended up in the dugout during batter practice, conversing for half an hour with none other than Joe Torre, the Yankees' manager, He was a very congenial host.

In 2008 Major League Baseball produced a DVD commemorating the new Yankee Stadium. Chris appears frequently on the disc, and during rain delays excerpts are shown on the JumboTron. Several friends, including Jim Kaat, a Hall of Famer, have told Chris about his appearances.

In addition to his writing hobby, other hobbies included reading, collecting Christmas books, collecting sports memorabilia, and playing his guitar and singing.  He enjoyed almost every type of music, from Bach to ZZ Top.

Chris and Nancy were married on July 29th, 2000 on a warm and sunny day in Pleasantville, New York. A lively reception followed, with a host of family and friends attending.

Before Chris was handicapped with various lower back issues, he and Nancy were able to travel happily. They spent their honeymoon in Nova Scotia, and while living in New Jersey, made frequent visits to family and friends in Massachusetts, California, Vermont, Maine and Michigan, and several trips abroad to Italy, France, Scotland, and England.

No one was more blessed with family and friends, all of whom Chris adored.

Surviving Chris is his treasured wife Nancy, whom he liked to call his Earth Angel. She was a shining light throughout their loving marriage. No words could adequately convey the profound warmth she brought to his life.

Among the many family gifts Nancy brought to the marriage are daughter Kristin  and son-in-law Jason from Portland, Maine; daughter Kimberly (deceased) and son-in-law Sean from Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan; and daughter Julie and son-in-law James from Hingham, Massachusetts.

Chris cherished his seven grandchildren, who are listed in order of ages: Madison, Evan, Greta, Aiden, Sloane, Katelyn and Emily.

Also surviving are his beloved immediate family: brother Nick and his wife Jane from Napa, California; son Clark and his partner Dung from San Francisco, California; and son Ned and his wife Melissa from Bristol, Vermont. Clark and Ned are sons from Chris's first marriage to Annice. Her love for Clark and Ned endures.

He was very fond of his sister-in-law Marie, and his brother-in-law, Ted (deceased), his brother-in-law Bill (deceased) and his sister-in-law Joyce, as well as nieces and nephews: Lisle, Christie, Kerry, Tim, Bill, Bob, Beth, Jenn, Scott, Stephanie, Stephen, Jeffrey, and cousins Peter, Debbie and Lee.

Chris frequently said he had immense gratitude for his wonderful life.

Written by Christopher Jennison, September, 2022

 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVICES FOR CHRISTOPHER SLOCUM JENNISON 

 The family will be receiving guests Monday, July 13, 2026 from 10-11AM in St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 258 Concord St. Newton Lower Falls, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11AM. 

 Prayers for burial in St. Mary's Cemetery, Needham will follow the Celebration of Life. 

 A reception will follow in the social hall of St. Mary's Episcopal Church. 

 In lieu of flowers, donations in Chris's memory may be made to one's favorite charity.