James O’Neal Jacobs, born in 1947, (I only knew him as JIMMY.) went to his Eternal Home not too long ago and will be missed.
I know that he served in the U. S. army and received both the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart while in Viet Nam as a young man.
After returning home, he completed his college degree at what is now UNT and began a long career in the insurance field. Not too long later he married his “forever” wife, Linda (associate of mine in FISD), and together they raised children, Matt and Bonnie, two of my good students.
I mainly became acquainted with Jim by playing pingpong, softball, basketball, and tennis with him and mutual friends (He was a fierce competitor, but nearly always with a smile.) and then later worked with him as he served Forney as a LONGTIME School Board Member for about a quarter of a century. In his spare time I know that he also spent hours on the Planning and Zoning Board, the Appraisal District, the Veterans Board, and the American Legion.
It seems like just yesterday that some “crazy guy” sat in his vehicle, honking and honking his horn at me as I sat there in my Dad’s old ’88 Ranger with the sign in the rear window that read, “Women Want Me; Fish Fear Me!” Jimmy rolled down his window, pointed to the sign, and asked in a loud voice, “Are you sure about that, Themer?” We both shared a good laugh as traffic honked at us to “move along!”
Jim Jacobs will be missed.
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