Phillip Lee Jacobs Obituary (1937 - 2017)

Phil Jacobs Obit PanaPhillip Lee Jacobs Sr. 80, of Pana, IL passed away at 2:02 a.m. September 12, 2017 at Springfield Memorial Medical Center from injuries received in an automobile accident on Labor Day. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, September 24 at Dawson & Wikoff Funeral Home, Mt. Zion. Funeral Mass will be held Monday, September 25 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, Oconee with Father Rodney Schwartz officiating. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Good Samaritan Inn, Decatur goodsamaritaninn.org or meal kitchen of donors choice. Phil was born on June 2, 1937 in Champaign, IL., the son of Edith and Edson Kathan. He was soon adopted by Ediths sister, Aunt Rena Mae (Rowlen) Jacobs and Uncle Russell Donald Jacobs. He married Norma Jean Heger on January, 24, 1959 at St. Patricks Church, Decatur. Phil, Norma, and their children were long-time members of St. James Catholic Church, Decatur. Surviving are his wife of 58 years and their four children, Sarah Jacobs (G. Scott Sober), Bloomington; Phil (Cheryl) Jacobs Jr, Mt. Zion; Amy Jacobs (Craig Curtis), Springfield; and Bill (Kay) Jacobs, Decatur. Also surviving are 7 grandchildren, Rachel (RJ) Brucker, Kelsey Jacobs (Daniel Haney) and Kyle Jacobs, Brooke Reynolds, Collin (Sara), Corey, and Skylar Jacobs, 5 great grandchildren: Bennett, Stella, Olive and Delilah Brucker, Bloomington and Teagan Jacobs, Villa Park. Nephew, Todd Jacobs, Bloomington and several other nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Allen Jacobs, 7 Kathan brothers and sisters and one very special grandchild, 8-yr-old Myles Jacob Farnsworth. Phil was a 1956 graduate of Lakeview High School in Decatur and attended Millikin University. He was a life-long learner and attended the University of Oklahoma, Norman, the University of Iowa, Iowa City (where he was accepted into their PhD program) and completed various classes at Lakeland Community College, as well as online classes from Harvard and Yale. Phil was a member of the National Press Club, Washington, D.C., and a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He is also a past recipient of the Macon County Sheriff Distinguished Service Award. Phil was self-employed in real estate development. He was behind the innovative design, development, and management of the Hyde Park Mobile Home Park in Decatur. Phil then became owner of Cenois Private Detective (CPD) where he provided Investigation and Security services. Phil left CPD in the care of his son, Phil Jr, to pursue his passion for photography and writing with the Decatur Herald and Review. While there, one of his photos received a prestigious AP News award. Even after his retirement in 2005, his photos and articles continued to be featured in the Herald and Review as well as other publications up until his death. Most recently, The New Yorker magazine accepted a letter he wrote to them for publication. Phil enjoyed playing golf, baking bread, fishing from his dock on Lake Pana , photographing the visiting wildlife and sunsets, and reading, especially from a set of The Harvard Universal Classics. He loved listening to classical and opera music and was a long-time supporter of public television. Phil could also be found during the summer months playing the guitar and the dobro at area bluegrass festivals. He loved visiting Chicago where he attended the Lyric Opera, was served a private meal at Charlie Trotters, and found many interesting people whose stories he captured in his Prairie Talk columns. The family would like to thank the Emergency First Responders, Decatur Ambulance, Decatur Memorial Emergency Team, and the Springfield Memorial Medical Center Emergency and Trauma Teams for their heroic efforts to save our hero. We also thank the many friends and fans of Phil who supported our family and cheered Phil and Norma on through recovery from their injuries suffered from the unfortunate accident. Phil was a man of many words and thrived in capturing the livelihoods of others. His family invites you to share your memories of Phil at www.dawson-wikoff.com.