James Randolph Jacobs, 73, of Vancouver, WA, died Saturday, December 21, 2019. James, known as Jim to his friends, and Randy to his family, was born in Atlanta, GA, on November 18, 1946.
He graduated from North Georgia College, a military school at the time, in 1968 and went on to complete flight school at Ft. Rucker, AL. James served with distinction in Vietnam as a pilot in the 45th Medical Company (Air Ambulance).
After returning to the states, he flew “Flat Iron” at Ft. Rucker, transporting both civilian and military casualties.
In 1984 he was stationed at the Vancouver Barracks, and quickly fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. He left the Army in 1988 as a major, and began a second career in medical supply management.
James lived a life dedicated to serving his community. For many years he worked as a volunteer at Friends In Service to Humanity (FISH), and the Clark County Historical Museum. James was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, volunteering his time in several different roles.
He was an avid gardener, enjoyed hiking, browsing the shelves in the library, and playing Legos and trains with his grandson.
James is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan; sister, Lynda (Carolyne); two sons, John (Lisa) and James; and grandson, John Aaron.
A special thank you to the entire staff of Legacy Salmon Creek ICU who provided extraordinary care with competence and genuine compassion. A service was held at First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Clark County Historical Museum, or FISH of Vancouver.