James Gerard Jacobs

James Gerard Jacobs, P.E., PLS of Norwood, formerly of Waltham and Brighton, February 5, 2020. Born in Brighton, April 3, 1936, son of the late George W. and Dorothy (Dolan) Jacobs. Married to his best friend, Mary Lou (Walsh) Jacobs for 60 years. Father of George Jacobs and his wife Sue of Billerica, Catherine Jacobs and her wife Beth Wichterich of Brooklyn, NY, Paula Mee and her husband William of Westwood, Michael Jacobs and his wife Maxine of Boston, Edward Jacobs and his wife Nancy of Westwood, Theresa Jacobs and her husband Jeff Shearstone of Framingham, Kristine Hollander and her husband Chris of Medfield, Barbara Keller and her husband Kevin of Norwood. Loving grandfather to Vincent, Franklin, Kailey, Delaney, Conor and Kerin Jacobs, Tucker and Declan Mee, Jamie, Emily and Maggie Hollander, Jake Wichterich, Seamus and Patrick Keller, Liam Shearstone and the late Gerard James Jacobs.

Dedicated alumnus of St Columbkille Elementary School ’49, Boston College High School ’53, and Northeastern University, BSCE ’59, MSCE ’62. As a licensed surveyor and structural engineer, his career in civil engineering spanned 60 years. While still an undergraduate, he started working at Barnes Engineering, in Waltham, for his coop job. There he made occasional trips to the building’s newsstand, where he flirted with the pretty girl behind the counter, his future bride, MaryLou, herself a math major at Emmanuel College. After graduation from Northeastern, he took an entry level position with a Boston firm, later to be known as LEA, he worked his way to Chief Engineer and Vice President where he remained for 25 years. Later, along with two principal partners, he established CID Associates, a multidisciplinary engineering and architectural design firm. The company was eventually acquired by Edwards and Kelcey where Jim continued as an executive. Jim maintained his professional credentials and kept working as a consultant during his “retirement.” In 1999 he was appointed by the governor to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Designer Selection Board.

With a rigorous work schedule and while parenting eight children, he was nevertheless generous in volunteering his time. Jim coached and served as President for both Brighton Central Little League and Allston-Brighton Youth Hockey. He served on the Board of Trustees for Franciscan Children’s Hospital, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and St. Columbkille Partnership School. Jim loved sports. He ran year-round in countless road races, often supporting events such as Race For The Cure and completing long-distance courses including the New York City and Cape Cod Marathons. In the summer months, Jim enjoyed hiking with family and friends in the White Mountains. Over the years, he summited all of New Hampshire’s 4,000 foot peaks. He also enjoyed playing golf, frequently at Norfolk Golf Club and Wedgewood Pines. His preference was always to walk the course. In wintertime, Jim again turned his attention to the mountains, summoning his children, grandkids, and friends to go downhill skiing. He celebrated his 80th birthday on the slopes. His love of sports extended to all hometown teams, as he was an avid fan of the Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, and Celtics. His greatest fanaticism, however, was in supporting his grandchildren in all their athletic pursuits. He became a known presence in the stands and on the field. He preferred to be in attendance, but, when showing up in person wasn’t possible, he applied his tech-savvy acumen to stream their games and cheer from home. He handled his diagnosis of ALS with grace, dignity, and on his own terms. 

Funeral from the Lehman Reen & McNamara Funeral Home 63 Chestnut Hill Ave. (nr. Brighton Courthouse) BRIGHTON on Monday Feb. 10th at 9:30am.  Followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Columbkille Church 321 Market St. Brighton at 10:30am.  Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.  Visiting Hours Sunday Feb. 9th from 2-6pm in the funeral home.  Interment Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline.  

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gerard James Jacobs Scholarship Fund care of Billerica Scholarship Foundation, 365 Boston Rd. Billerica, MA 01821, or the Charity of your choice.  

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