John Michael Jacobs

It is with hearts broken open that we announce the death, and celebration of life, of John Michael Jacobs. Affectionately known as “Jake,” he will always be alive in our memories as the larger than life, jolly storyteller, jokester, consummate connector, and dancer who loved his family dearly and held his friends close. He passed away with grace on July 10, 2019, after a feisty, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer that left even his doctors delightfully surprised at his resilience.

We imagine that somewhere today he sits in his cozy corner of Heaven on a Pecan tree-swing, drinking a cold one, telling stories and laughing with his family and friends who have already passed through the pearly gates. Jake is survived by his thriving and timeless wife of 38 years, Deborah Manning Jacobs; and he was a devoted and loving father to his daughter, Michelle Jacobs Thomas, her husband Tony and their children Carlie, Abbie, and Jacob; and his son, Michael Manning Jacobs; and his “surrogate” daughter, Laura Louise Edwards, daughter of the late Meck Edwards.

Jake’s witty and irreverent personality was enshrined by his beautifully quirky and bighearted parents, Lawrence Nesbit Jacobs and Ruth Deans Jacobs, when he was born on April 21, 1950. He had one brother, James “Jim” Daniel Jacobs, who passed away in 2018. The two brothers shared perhaps their best year ever in the last year of Jim’s life, as they enjoyed countless hours of reminiscing and laughter before Jim’s passing.

He was an alum of Hillcrest High School, and of Southern Methodist University, a life-long Dallas native and lover of all things Texas. It was at Hillcrest that Jake came into the good fortune of his lifelong cohort of nearest and dearest friends, including Alan Balser, David Boyett, Clay Burr, Meck Edwards, and Bob Camp of North Dallas High School. He mysteriously busted out of the hospital to attend his 50 year Hillcrest High School (‘68) reunion, in time to relive his glory years as “Class Favorite,” an accolade he received all three years of high school. At SMU, many more life-long friendships began when Jake joined Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, a legacy continued by his son, Michael, at Texas A&M University. He also attended a 50 year reunion of his Phi Delt pledge class in October 2018.

In his younger years, Jake was most definitely an athlete, playing football at Hillcrest; boxing in the Golden Gloves youth boxing competition; and later a member of the Dallas Rugby Football Club. His zeal for sports and competitive spirit continued later in life as he began coaching Michael’s youth soccer team, the Dragons, in 1989. Jake not only fell in love with the sport of soccer, but also found his passion for coaching, eventually touching the lives of over 150 youth soccer players through his coaching career. When Michael began playing rugby at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, Jake stayed involved, as well. He was a friend and mentor to all of the young men on the Jesuit rugby team; acted as a chaperone for the team’s tour in the Cayman Islands; assisted head coach Anthony “Matta” Mattachione as the team clenched their title as State Rugby Champions; and even designed practice rugby goals made of oil field pipe which he donated to the school. While many victories came along with his coaching career, it was making a difference in the lives of young people that meant so much to Jake.

The many nicknames given, such as “Flakey Jake,” “Squatty,” “Coach Jake,” or simply just “Coach,” were given unceremoniously by each friend, eager to crown him their own private term of endearment. We cherish the innumerable memories: Jake’s love of coaching his son Michael’s youth soccer team, “The Dragons;” Christmas parties dancing to country western holiday songs; Thanksgivings in Texarkana with Deb’s parents, full of live big band music and endless laughter; the many hilarious garage sales at the corner of Brookshire and Tibbs; the unbridled joy of attending Michelle and Tony’s wedding in Louisville, Kentucky, in the fall of 2016; the pride of watching Michael graduate from Texas A&M; the Ursuline father-daughter dance where he stood in for Laura’s father.

In his professional life, Jake wore many different hats throughout the years. Beginning in high school he worked as a “soda jerk” at the Preston Royal Pharmacy; joined his friend Meck Edwards as a busboy at Steak and Ale under then manager George Biel, eventual founder of Hillstone Restaurant Group; and as a delivery driver for Schlitz Distributing at 17 years old, where he began his lifelong friendship with Bob Camp. Later, Jake and Bob began touring with Showco, a Dallas based sound equipment company, providing sound, stage, and lighting for artists such as James Taylor, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, and countless other rock and roll legends. After a brief career in commercial real estate in Dallas, Jake began his passionate career of over 40 years as a Petroleum Landman. Hired by Jim Beavers, head of the Land Department at Hunt Oil Company, Jake quickly excelled to Regional Land Manager for Hunt Oil. After leaving Hunt, Jake later began his own company, Brazos Land Services, venturing into the exploration and production side of the petroleum industry. A lifetime member of the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL), Jake was an avid attendee of the North American Petroleum Expo (NAPE), attending his last conference in February, 2019 with his oldest friend Alan Balser. Jake continued his beloved work in the industry until just a few weeks before his passing and can be quoted as saying, “I don’t think I will ever retire, I just love it too much.”

Jake’s was a life well-lived, and even more well-loved. And he died as he lived, having reconnected with many of his loved friends and family in the last two years of his life, making sure to connect everyone together and keep the families and friends close-knit in time for his passing. And that is the gift of his life: he was, above all things, a joyous connector, weaving his jokes, his laughter, his bear hugs, and his heart into the fabric of our lives. And he will live on within us, our lives enriched from his brilliant light.

The memorial will be held at Sparkman/Hillcrest on Wednesday, July 24th at 3:00pm; and visitation is Tuesday, July 23rd from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org, the US Soccer Foundation at ussoccerfoundation.org, or a charity of your choice.