Obituary for Donald Jacobsen
Donald C. Jacobsen July 2, 1935 - December 11, 2022
Don Jacobsen passed away at home in Midlothian, TX on Dec 11, 2022. He was 87 yrs old.
He was born in Danbury, Iowa to Donald Clark Jacobsen and Betty Lucille (Hoyt) Jacobsen.
Don was raised and lived his entire childhood in the Kessler Park neighborhood of Dallas, TX. He was a cub scout, had a horse, played baseball, and took road trips with his parents to Iowa and Michigan to visit family, Colorado, Mexico City, the World’s Fair in New York City, and the World Series in St Louis.
Later in life, Dad payed it forward when he took his kids on trips to places like Vero Beach, Monaco, Paris, Denmark, London, and the Alps to ski. He took us to events like the Masters, Monterey Car Week / Concours D’elegance, the Orange Bowl, Formula One races, the Red River Showdown, and the Texas State Fair. (He loved Fletcher’s Corny Dogs as much as his Jacobsen homemade ice cream.)
He graduated from Adamson High School at 16 yrs old in 1952. He attended college at SMU and the University of Oklahoma, receiving a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1957.
He began his career working for small aircraft manufacturers before joining the Federal Aviation Administration for 30+ yrs in aircraft certification. The FAA took him to Kansas City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Brussels, Belgium, Seattle, and back to Kansas City. After a rewarding career of leadership in the FAA, he returned to Texas where he enjoyed 32 years of retirement in Dallas and Midlothian with the people, dogs, and cars he loved most. He traveled the world, but Texas was always his home.
Don believed that his relationships with people were the most important aspect of his life. He was a loving, caring and supportive son, father and grandfather. He was a loyal friend, neighbor, and bridge partner. Dad delivered Meals on Wheels as he enjoyed spending time with people that were homebound with little social interaction. He treated people he’d never met before with respect and friendliness like he he’d known them his whole life. He could carry a conversation with anyone about any subject and was truly interested in everyone he met. He was the consummate Texas gentleman and was loved by all who knew him.
Next to the people in his life, Don also loved his dogs and they loved him. He always had one or more loyal companions at his side while he read the morning paper, completed the NYT Crossword, or relaxed on his sailboat on Lake Texoma.
Don’s picture is in the dictionary next to the term “sports car enthusiast”. One of his greatest passions was automobiles, especially European sports cars and race cars, of which he bought, sold, and collected dozens of cars over the course of his life. He enjoyed restoring classic cars and also raced cars as a young man (Mini Cooper and Porsche) and then again in retirement (Formula racing). Not many people knew more about, or appreciated, Porsche, Lotus, and Ferrari than him….unless they have read every Road & Track magazine for the past 70 years, like Don did.
Don was also an avid sports fan. He loved his Sooners and never missed a game on TV or a chance to wear his OU red. As a Dallas native, he watched every Rangers, Cowboys, Mavs, and Stars game. He also enjoyed watching golf and tennis, especially the Masters and Major tournaments. And of course, he followed automobile racing closely, especially Formula One and Indy. When there were no sports, he was a softie for any romantic comedy movie. His DVR was a workhorse.
Dad is survived by his son Roger Jacobsen (wife Natalie), his daughter Julie Blanc (husband John), his step-daughter Sonja Bettis, his grandson Casey Jacobsen, and his granddaughter Claire Jacobsen.
Don / Dad / Grandpa Jake was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all that knew him and were positively impacted by his generous, modest, and kind nature. A gathering of family and friends will be held at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas on March 14 at 3pm to celebrate his remarkable life and everlasting spirit. Contributions in his memory can be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at www.aspca.org
Don Jacobsen passed away at home in Midlothian, TX on Dec 11, 2022. He was 87 yrs old.
He was born in Danbury, Iowa to Donald Clark Jacobsen and Betty Lucille (Hoyt) Jacobsen.
Don was raised and lived his entire childhood in the Kessler Park neighborhood of Dallas, TX. He was a cub scout, had a horse, played baseball, and took road trips with his parents to Iowa and Michigan to visit family, Colorado, Mexico City, the World’s Fair in New York City, and the World Series in St Louis.
Later in life, Dad payed it forward when he took his kids on trips to places like Vero Beach, Monaco, Paris, Denmark, London, and the Alps to ski. He took us to events like the Masters, Monterey Car Week / Concours D’elegance, the Orange Bowl, Formula One races, the Red River Showdown, and the Texas State Fair. (He loved Fletcher’s Corny Dogs as much as his Jacobsen homemade ice cream.)
He graduated from Adamson High School at 16 yrs old in 1952. He attended college at SMU and the University of Oklahoma, receiving a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1957.
He began his career working for small aircraft manufacturers before joining the Federal Aviation Administration for 30+ yrs in aircraft certification. The FAA took him to Kansas City, Washington DC, Atlanta, Brussels, Belgium, Seattle, and back to Kansas City. After a rewarding career of leadership in the FAA, he returned to Texas where he enjoyed 32 years of retirement in Dallas and Midlothian with the people, dogs, and cars he loved most. He traveled the world, but Texas was always his home.
Don believed that his relationships with people were the most important aspect of his life. He was a loving, caring and supportive son, father and grandfather. He was a loyal friend, neighbor, and bridge partner. Dad delivered Meals on Wheels as he enjoyed spending time with people that were homebound with little social interaction. He treated people he’d never met before with respect and friendliness like he he’d known them his whole life. He could carry a conversation with anyone about any subject and was truly interested in everyone he met. He was the consummate Texas gentleman and was loved by all who knew him.
Next to the people in his life, Don also loved his dogs and they loved him. He always had one or more loyal companions at his side while he read the morning paper, completed the NYT Crossword, or relaxed on his sailboat on Lake Texoma.
Don’s picture is in the dictionary next to the term “sports car enthusiast”. One of his greatest passions was automobiles, especially European sports cars and race cars, of which he bought, sold, and collected dozens of cars over the course of his life. He enjoyed restoring classic cars and also raced cars as a young man (Mini Cooper and Porsche) and then again in retirement (Formula racing). Not many people knew more about, or appreciated, Porsche, Lotus, and Ferrari than him….unless they have read every Road & Track magazine for the past 70 years, like Don did.
Don was also an avid sports fan. He loved his Sooners and never missed a game on TV or a chance to wear his OU red. As a Dallas native, he watched every Rangers, Cowboys, Mavs, and Stars game. He also enjoyed watching golf and tennis, especially the Masters and Major tournaments. And of course, he followed automobile racing closely, especially Formula One and Indy. When there were no sports, he was a softie for any romantic comedy movie. His DVR was a workhorse.
Dad is survived by his son Roger Jacobsen (wife Natalie), his daughter Julie Blanc (husband John), his step-daughter Sonja Bettis, his grandson Casey Jacobsen, and his granddaughter Claire Jacobsen.
Don / Dad / Grandpa Jake was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all that knew him and were positively impacted by his generous, modest, and kind nature. A gathering of family and friends will be held at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas on March 14 at 3pm to celebrate his remarkable life and everlasting spirit. Contributions in his memory can be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at www.aspca.org