Willis Jacobs

Willis “Jake” Jacobs, 89, passed away peacefully in Lakewood, Colorado on August 4, 2020. In his final days he was surrounded by family in the hospital after a brief battle with cancer. Jake was born in 1930 in a farmhouse near New Virginia, Iowa, the son of Charles and Anna Lee Jacobs. He spent his childhood years living between Iowa and Kansas. Jake was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Virginia and Doreen. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jan (Peterka); his children, Jon, Jack, and Michele, and their spouses; two step-sons, Mike and Mark, and their spouses; and 11 grandchildren. Jake joined the Navy after high school and served in the Korean War in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. After graduating from Kansas State University post-war, Jake became a civilian government scientist at the South Pole and the Arctic Circle (Point Barrow). He was among the first group of scientists to be stationed at the South Pole, and was honored with a mountain named after him, Jacobs Nunatak. Jake went on to serve as a geophysicist for the U.S. government in Washington, D.C.; Fredericksburg, Virginia; Guam; and Golden, Colorado for over 40 years. He and Jan retired in Golden, and later moved to Arvada, Colorado. With a love of sports, astronomy, photography, and spending time with family and friends, Jake was adored by everyone who knew him for his gentle soul and kind spirit. The family would like to thank the staff at Mountain Vista Senior Living Community for their kind and loving support of Jake in his final years. A Service and Interment of Ashes will be held at Highland Cemetery in Ashland, Kansas on August 29, 2020 at 10:00 am. A Celebration of Life will be held in the Denver area at a later date, post COVID-19. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in Willis Jacobs’ memory to the Pioneer-Krier Museum, 430 W. 4th Ave., Ashland, KS, 67831, or to an organization of the donor’s preference.