Joyce Ann Jacobs

Jacobs was affiliated with the Teaneck LWV for nearly 50 years, serving for approximately 30 of those years on its board of directors, mainly in the role of recording secretary. Her highly developed organizational skills and positive energy contributed to the success of many League events and activities, including voter registration drives, policy development studies, and candidate forums for local, state, and national elections. She often served as timekeeper for candidate debates, leveraging her well-earned reputation within the LWV for keeping events running on schedule.

Jacobs’ close friend and LWV colleague Shirley Sosland said that Jacobs was “instrumental in keeping the League together” over the decades.

“She was involved in so many aspects of what the League does, including fundraising,” Sosland said. “She made so many phone calls, sent out hundreds of postcards. She inspired and motivated many of the members who joined in the years after she did.”

Sosland and Jacobs first met in 1971 as young mothers volunteering for the Peace Center, a Teaneck-based group that organized protests against the Vietnam War.

Arlene Gartenberg and Barbara Ostroth, current co-leaders of the Teaneck LWV, also recalled Jacobs’ integral role over the years when the group worked to promote the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and conduct studies that informed national and state LWV policy positions on issues such as gun control and fracking.

“Joyce was always there to roll up her sleeves and get down to work,” said Gartenberg. “You could always depend on her to be there when help was needed.”

Jacobs also volunteered for several decades at Holy Name Medical Center and the Teaneck public library. She was a member of the same book club for nearly 50 years.

A native of the Bronx, she graduated from Paterson State Teachers College – now William Paterson University – in 1966 and earned a master’s degree in special education from Teachers’ College, Columbia University. She taught at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind for several years before focusing on full-time motherhood. She later became a computer programmer and worked for companies including United Merchants, National Community Bank, and Lockheed Martin. She returned to working in special education for several years before retiring in 2012.

Jacobs was predeceased by her husband, Martin Jacobs, in 2013. She is survived by a sister, Leslie Dorn; sons Daniel (Edie Sachs) and Michael (Malena Handeen); grandchildren Hazel, Arlo, and Abby; and several nieces and nephews.

Arrangements by Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, Hackensack, NJ.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.guttermanandmusicant.com for the Jacobs family.