Stephen Blair Jacobs

Stephen Blair Jacobs passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in the morning – his favorite time of day – after a 6-year battle with dementia. He was 77 years old. It was a journey no one wants to go through, but in the end, his physical decline was swift, and he was comfortable, surrounded by loved ones the day before and cared for greatly by the staff at Clark Manor in Chicago, Illinois.

A graveside funeral service will be held at 2:30 PM, Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Salisbury National Cemetery Annex with military honors being presented by the United States Army. The family will receive friends at Davidson Funeral Home, Hickory Tree Chapel, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM, prior to the service.

Steve is survived by his constant companion, his wife of 53 years, Kathy, who heroically cared for him through the devastating disease; his son Kris Jacobs and daughter Stephanie Faris; his daughter-in-law Laura Pratt Baillie and son-in-law Jon Faris; and his granddaughter Samantha Faris and step-grandson Oliver Baillie.

Steve was born on March 23, 1949, in Gastonia, North Carolina, to Tom and Martha Jacobs, the second of four boys. His older brother Tim passed away in 2024. Younger brothers Jeff and Tom looked up to Steve (though physically looked down on the short guy) and over the years one or the other was always available as a confidante. Steve was a self-described “military brat,” going to 9 schools over the course of his primary school years. All four of the Jacobs boys enlisted in the military after graduating high school (Steve from Ragsdale in Jamestown, NC). Steve saw active combat in the Army during Vietnam; he was a paratrooper and ended up in Special Forces as a Green Beret – proof that “overachiever” is an apt descriptor for him. After returning from Vietnam, he met Kathryn Crissman, a college student at UNC-Greensboro, at Camp Pioneer, called her “bright eyes,” and the rest is history. They married on New Year’s Eve of 1972. By then, Steve had graduated from Guilford College and also graduated from the police academy. They began their life in a log cabin off the beaten path in High Point, NC, on Kathy’s family’s land.

On October 7, 1977, Kristopher Blair Jacobs was born and Stephanie Kaye Jacobs followed on February 13, 1982. Steve loved being a dad; he perhaps only loved being a husband more. He was at every sports game, karate tournament, scouting trip, dance recital, musical, church or school event, and he was always early – you never had to wait on Steve. The Jacobs family of four was tight-knit through the kids’ adolescence, traveling to Holden Beach for a week most summers and spending weekend nights with parents’ friends. Steve and Kathy both prided themselves on having their own hobbies – Steve was a referee and umpire for high school basketball, football, volleyball, and baseball, and even worked some college baseball. It meant he was gone a lot of evenings, but it made Steve and Kathy appreciate each other more. Simultaneously, he worked for the High Point Police Department and then in Intensive Probation and Parole for the remainder of his career in law enforcement.

We would be remiss not to mention the role of faith and church in Steve’s life. He was a longtime member of Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, and then Augsburg Lutheran and St. Paul’s Episcopal in Winston-Salem. He loved to hear his wife sing (though he couldn’t really sing himself). He believed in forgiveness and love, always, and was a constant example of both. As his mind left him, his love for the Lord did not.

On July 26, 2012, Steve’s granddaughter Samantha Blair Faris was born, taking with her his middle name and his heart. He spent as much time as he could with her, including coming to Chicago when Stephanie was student teaching to spend over 10 days as her sole caregiver when she wasn’t even one year old. He was so proud of his entire family and supported them in whatever endeavors they wanted, as long as they were happy.

Steve was a homebody. There were talks (and some attempts) of travel in retirement, but really he loved being with his “bride” Kathy and his dogs the most. Over the years, there were so many good dogs – Shadow, Booker, Gretchen, Ziggy, Dunegan, Dirk, and Mallory to name a few. Give Steve a dog and a tractor and he could be content for days. He worked hard. He loved harder. He told such great stories. And he had the biggest laugh and an even bigger hug for everyone, any time. Oh, how he will be missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shiloh Hospice and Palliative Care or the Alzheimer’s Association.