Lee E. Jacobsen

Lee. E. Jake Jacobsen, 86, of Rockford, having formerly lived in Oregon, Il., and Rochelle, Il., passed away July 1, 2009, in the arms of his family, at Bickford House in Rockford. Jake was born to Joseph N. and Gladys (Law) Jacobsen March 2, 1923 at home in Rochelle in the same bed his mother had been born in. Weighing only two pounds at birth, he was placed in a shoebox in the oven to keep him warm. Even early on, Jake showed a fighting spirit that would define his life. After graduating from Rochelle High School in 1940, Jake headed out on his motorcycle to see what was North of here. He found his way to Alaska, where he found work at a military installation in Anchorage. On Sundays he took flying lessons, and soon had earned his private pilots license. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, Jake, like so many others, immediately enlisted in the in the armed forces. As was his habit, he looked for the toughest challenge and found it as a U.S. Army paratrooper. He completed Jump School at Fort Benning, Ga., in the 515th Paratroop Infantry Regiment, and was assigned to Company L 261st Regiment of the 65th Division. Jake and his band of brothers fought in Sicily, Italy, France, Germany and Austria. Achieving the rank of Staff Sgt., Jake received several medals and commendations including 2 Bronze Stars and 2 Purple Hearts. Also, like many other men of his era, he rarely if ever discussed his wartime experiences, preferring to say he was glad to have been of service to his country and his brother soldiers. He did, however, do something during the war that he was very happy to discuss: he married Evelyn Riley of Oregon, Il., June 10th, 1943, at Camp Shelby, MS. They were married for nearly 65 years when she passed away in February of 2008. After the war, Jake and Ev returned to Oregon where he worked for many years as a plumber and pipefitter, proud member of Local 23. Jake practiced martial arts for almost all his adult life, traveled extensively, but truly lived to play golf. Some of his happiest golf memories occurred at the Oregon Country Club, where he played for many years. Jake is survived by his son Riley (whom he defeated in golf every time they played for over 25 years), daughter-in-law Amy, grandchildren Spencer and Molly, and brother Joel. Jake was and always will be Rileys hero and inspiration. The Jacobsen family wishes to thank the many friends that made Jakes last final months so special, in particular Karen, Liz and the entire staff at Bickford House, also Carol, Christina and the other wonderful people at Heartland Hospice. You are all truly angels in human form. Thanks for doing what you do so beautifully. At the familys request all services are private. In lieu of flowers memorials to be directed to a Veterans Memorial C/O the family. Extend online condolences at: www.fitzgeraldfh.com