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Bob Jacobs
I was born Robert Charles Jacobs on November 20, 1942. My first grade teacher once told my Mom, “Bobby is all boy – but, he talks too much!”. Thus, verbal brevity is not one of my virtues and my school grades often reflected this. After graduating from Penncrest, my first “serious” job was as a debit clerk at Metropolitan Life in Media. The office was located literally at the “end of the tracks!”. (Trolley, that is). After a short time sitting on a stool gathering weekly payments of $1.50 or less from folks, I obtained a position as a printer’s assistant at Security-Columbian Banknote Co. in West Philadelphia, who, at that time, were printers of stocks, bonds, and El Salvadorian currency. In ‘63, Gloria and I began dating and became engaged on Christmas Eve. The following spring, I was surprised to receive a short note from President Lyndon Johnson, beginning with that famous salutation, “Greetings, you have been selected…”. So, on April 21, 1964, I took the “Oath of Allegiance”, and it was off to Ft. Gordon, (Augusta) GA for Basic Training in May and June. There was much sand and bugs and bugs and sand! And hot! hot! hot! Awarded a Sharpshooter’s Medal for rifle during this time, but had mixed feelings as Viet Nam was beginning to heat up. I was then sent to the Engineer School at Ft. Belvoir, outside DC, and trained as a Process Photographer (mapmaker). The cameras used were so huge; one could actually climb into the bellows and take a nap. That’s a confirmed fact! As I neared course completion, I received orders for Germany. I called Gloria and asked her if she were free the following weekend and would she marry me! This we did, on a three-day pass! Our wedding reception was at the former Wild Goose Inn in Lima and we honeymooned for a day at a Holiday Inn in Wilmington! Upon arriving in Germany, I was assigned to the 513th Intelligence Corps Group at Oberusel, (just outside Frankfort). Gloria was able to join me that fall (‘64) and we had the wonderful opportunity to camp throughout much of Europe (Germany, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, & Austria). We also rode the night duty train through East Germany, spent a week in Berlin and among other sites, visited “The Wall”. Quite a sobering experience at the time. Upon discharge from the Army in ‘66, I resumed work at the printing company and began a 4-year printer apprenticeship correspondence course. Completed the same in ‘70 and became a card-carrying journeyman printer with all the rights and privileges, thereof! Was this what I wanted to do with the rest of my life? I concluded, not! As luck would have it, our Penncrest bookkeeping teacher, Ms. Francis Darlington, had a sort of reunion at her house that spring. I discussed my dilemma with her and she recommended I look into Peirce Jr. College, in Philly, (now a four-year institution). I enrolled in a night data processing course, to see if I could handle ‘”mo education” after being out of high school for so long. Well, I got an “A” – first ever in my life! Quit the printing job, enrolled full-time, graduated in ‘72, Magna Cum Laude with an AS Degree in Business Data Processing. Now, for a guy whose high school report cards used to mirror the brightness of a Christmas tree, that was something else! That summer, (4th of July), we moved to an apartment in Richmond near the airport and commenced construction of our present home on a lot we had purchased earlier. We moved to Richmond because Gloria’s relatives lived nearby and because of my interest in the Civil War. I obtained a position as an evening computer operator trainee with a bank (now Bank of America) and enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). I was able to complete a Bachelor’s in Management in ‘75 and an MBA in ‘77. In 1975, after 11 years of marriage and shortly after we sold those old bunk beds, our lovely daughter Susan Rae was born. In 1980, after eight years, I left the bank to work for a contracting firm as an Information Systems Consultant. As such, I was able to function in a number of enjoyable and interesting capacities, including project manager, systems developer and business analyst. Over the next twenty-seven years my career involved working for several different consulting companies contracted at a number of Virginia state agencies, until retirement in ‘07. I became a Freemason in ‘70, while living in Chester - Penn Lodge No. 709, now meeting in Concordville. After moving to Virginia, I joined several Masonic organizations here and remain very active in the fraternity. Since ‘74, I have been involved with the recreational sport of adult flag football with non-profit organizations at the local, state, and national levels, first, as a player, then as an administrative officer. www.vffa.com , www.usffa.org . We have a vacation home in Ellenton (Tropical Harbor), FL located on a deepwater canal leading to the Manatee River which then feeds into the Gulf. It’s situated just off Rt. 301, outside Bradenton. There is a private screened pool and thus, is a wonderful place to relax! And we do so whenever we can! Our Address in Virginia is:
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