Jeannine; photo by ALJ
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cemetery bench; photo by Joy Jacobson
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RIP my mom, Jeannine Jacobson (1928 - 2018)
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| Born in Tacoma to Eugene George Guy and Marie Irene Gourdinnes. She met Arthur Leonard Jacobson originally via a mutual friend, and married him. She was a supportive wife until her husband died, and thereafter placed flowers faithfully on his grave at Lake View Cemetery. In her four children she instilled various qualities that helped us in life. She insisted that we become educated; that we vote; that we follow laws; and she taught us to clean up messes that we made. To be inquisitive, skeptical and to say plainly what we think; how we feel. Despite our imperfections, she was proud of us. She proclaimed: "I educated the kids --what they DO with their education is none of my business." |
| She worked at NOAA for 30 years, accounting. Every year after her retirement she hosted a spring luncheon for former workers. For over 35 years she was active in Lake Union Toastmasters. |
In retirement, her volunteer activities were varied and significant:
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| Museum of History and Industry docent (Volunteer of year 2003). |
| Montlake Community Club --both as a trustee and a Flyer deliverer. |
| AARP Legislative Committee 1993 - 1999. |
| IRS Volunteer Tax preparer. |
| Precinct chairperson. |
Volunteer Park Conservatory docent.
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| She traveled the world, first before she married, as an airline stewardess --she desired to see the world-- later as a retiree, to to such places as Egypt, Europe, Australia, the Panama canal, mostly between 1986 and 1999. Sixteen thick scrapbooks full of postcards and mementos documented each excursion. |
| She was an active and faithful parishoner of St Joseph's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill (her memorial mass will be held there; her remains will go to the family plot of nearby Lakeview Cemetery). |
| She played Monday night bridge for decades, sometimes hosting 24 people at her house. She preferred going to opera and plays to watching movies. She organized get-togethers for relatives and neighbors. Had she any grandchildren, she would have been very available for them. |
| She delighted in her pet cats, garden flowers, many friends, in cooking, in staying informed by reading widely. Some magazines were Smithsonian, Sunset, Funny Times, and Consumer's Reports. She was proudly addicted to her cigarettes, drank white wine with ice cubes, and booze, but was considerate of non-smokers in her house. At any given time, her shelves, referigerator and freezers held 2 months worth of food and drink. For many years, she did canning. Besides cookbooks, she had bulging scrapbooks full of clipped recipes from magazines and newspapers. Her kitchen was her command center and favorite room. While working there, if she was not talking on the telephone, she was listening to radio and TV news programs, or perhaps KIXI tunes or radio drama. |
| Her personality was gregarious, straightforward, fun-loving, and opinionated. Over the years she evolved from a Republican to a Democrat. She was thrifty; it always excited her to clip coupons, buy items on sale, and to shop at Value Village and the like. She was proud of her figure and how she never grew overweight. A nickname she liked was "Sam." |
| In her latter years she naturally slowed down. This upset her, and entailed sleeping more, doing fewer house remodel projects and re-upholstering tasks, getting part-time house-cleaning help, volunteering fewer hours, taking shorter trips, and turning up the thermostat to keep warm. On her 80th birthday us kids asked her if she desired a big party. "No," she said, "just dinner together." We dined at The Ruins, and she drank two Manhattens. When 86, she stopped driving her car, but still shopped with her kids. In 2016, she moved to Merrill Gardens First Hill, and enjoyed good care there until she died. "My traveling days," she declared, "are over. Now I enjoy watching Rick Steves travel." |
These notes were written while she was still alive. She had to bury her mother, her husband, her only brother, and various in-laws and other people dear to her. She disliked funerals, but attended dutifully. She did what she could to make her passing easier for her kids. In many respects she was a model citizen. She read these notes and made some corrections. So, you know it is all accurate.
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(originally published in my October 2018 newsletter)
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