Julia Kay Jacobson

Julia Kay Jacobson

Julia Kay Jacobson died March 18, 2025, at the age of 74. She was born August 22, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Clarence and Nina Naomi Porter. The family lived in the small Iowa town of Panora, Iowa. When Julie was two, the family moved to Clearwater, Florida, where her father and a friend started a printing and advertising business. After a few years, the family decided to move back to Iowa. They settled in Ames, Iowa, where Clarence became a successful insurance agent. After elementary school, Julie attended Ames High School. She graduated in 1968, and was accepted at Iowa State University where she majored in Home Economics Education. While at Iowa State University, Julie participated in a synchronized swimming team.

Julie lived in the dormitories while at Iowa State. During her senior year, she met Dick Jacobson, an engineering student who lived in an adjacent dormitory. The two had many mutual friends who often hung out and partied together. Over the course of their senior year, they fell in love. After graduation, they became engaged, and were married in Ames, Iowa, on June 23, 1973. They resided in Ankeny, Iowa, where Dick worked for the City of Ankeny. They welcomed their first child, Angela, on February 18, 1976. Dick & Julie eventually shared a desire to move West, and Dick secured a job in Billings, Montana. They moved to Billings in November 1978 while Julie was pregnant with their second child. Their son, Eric, was born on December 13, 1978. The move was quite the adventure, because neither of them had any relatives in Billings. However, God was with them! They bought a house in a neighborhood with many other young couples with young children, and the group formed a close friendship that continues to this day!

In 1989, Dick accepted a new engineering job offer, and the family moved to Fresno, California. They missed their Billings friends, but made several new friendships in Fresno. While in Fresno, Julie completed her Masters degree at California State University, Fresno, and taught home economics at a rural high school part time. In June 1994, Dick was transferred to Boise, Idaho, and the rest is history. The couple bought a house in Eagle and later moved to Meridian, where Julie became very active at Holy Apostles Catholic Church. She helped with retreats, was active with a women’s prayer group, and enjoyed discerning the word of God in the small faith Community group she and Dick belonged to for nearly 30 years. 

Julie enjoyed calligraphy, sewing, camping, and spending time with her family, all of whom live in Meridian. She ran a home-based part-time business as a distributor for a nutritional product company, and she became a certified health coach. She loved her family dearly, and she loved spending time at the cabin she and Dick built in Cascade, Idaho. Julie and Dick renewed their wedding vows and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 23, 2023, with family and friends. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in July 2023. She endured many rounds of chemotherapy and various naturopathic treatments, but she was strong in her faith and she accepted God’s will for her. She died peacefully at home in Meridian on March 18, 2025.

Julie was preceded in death by her grandparents and parents. She is survived by her loving husband, Dick, of 52 years; children Angela (Erik) Hanson and Eric (Devon) Jacobson; five grandchildren (Jocelyn, Porter, Nora, Noah, & Carter); her sister (Jane Montgomery) and nieces, nephews, cousins, and brothers and sister-in-law.

Services will be held on Friday, April 11th at Holy Apostles Catholic Church in Meridian.  A rosary will be prayed in Julie’s honor at 10 AM. The funeral Mass will begin at 11 AM, followed by inurnment of Julie’s ashes in the Columbarium at the Church. A reception will be held at the Church following the inurnment. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at https://pancan.org/.