William F. “Bill” Jacobs, 86, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Wednesday, December 18, 2019, in the home where his grandparents raised him on his beloved Grace Avenue.
Memorial services will be held 11 AM, Friday, December 20, 2019, at First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald, with the Rev. Blane Jacobs and the Rev. Dr. Jerry Mahan officiating. Interment will be private. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.
Mr. Jacobs was born August 20, 1933, in Manchester, Georgia, to the late Marshall & Marie Hendrix Jacobs. He was raised in Fitzgerald by his paternal grandparents Fred & Alma Jacobs. He graduated from Fitzgerald High School in 1952 and joined the United States Air Force where he served in Germany. While stationed at Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, he met Norma Jean Webb at the USO in April of 1956. They married 7 months later in December of that year. After returning home to Fitzgerald, he attended South Georgia College and later graduated from Georgia State University in 1961, with a BBA in Business Management. Mr. Jacobs worked as an insurance salesman for Life & Casualty Insurance Company, a work training coordinator for the Neighborhood Youth Corp., office manager for Fitzgerald Water Light and Bond and retired from CSX Transportation in 1989. After retirement, he worked for Federal State Inspection Service during peanut season, a security guard at Winn Dixie, greeter at Wal-Mart and retired again in 2016 from Ben Hill County after 12 years of service.
Mr. Jacobs was a member and deacon of First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald. He also served as secretary-treasurer of the Baraca Sunday School Class for several years. He was past president of PTA, a Boy Scout leader and served on the Ben Hill County Tax Assessor Board for 18 years.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jean Jacobs of Fitzgerald; a son: Blane & Barbara Jacobs of Fitzgerald; grandchildren: Ben & Christy Jacobs of Fitzgerald and Bailey & Chris Miller of Fitzgerald; and great-grandchildren: Callie Jacobs, Crosby Jacobs, Charley Miller and Cydney Miller. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Brent F. Jacobs.
The family suggests those desiring to send memorials, may send them to First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald, P. O. Box 367, Fitzgerald, Georgia, 31750.