Donald Dee "Jake" Jacobsen Sr.

Donald Dee Jacobsen Sr. "Jake" was born April 2, 1939, in Lake Norden, South Dakota, son of Melvin and Elma Jacobsen. He passed away February 11, 2019 at his home at Northern Hills assisted living facility in Sioux City, Iowa at the age of seventy nine.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, February 23, 2019 at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel.  Visitation with the family present will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Don was raised in Lake Norden South Dakota along with his five brothers and 2 sisters. After graduation he attended South Dakota State University in Brookings S. D. where he was a stand out basketball ball player. Don married and had three sons with his first wife. After a brief coaching stint at SDSU, Don Coached and was Athletic Director at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, where he guided the basketball team to it's first playoff appearance. Don left coaching in 1981 and spent the next several years as an insurance executive for Lutheran Brotherhood, New York Life and Prudential. On February, 28, 1996 Don married his wife Jan who was with him until his death. Don retired in 2001.

Don was named the South Dakota Athlete of the Decade for the 1960's by the Rapid City Journal. He held the South Dakota High School basketball scoring record for over 50 years. Don was named the Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1961, the same year he earned first- team Little All America honors for South Dakota State. When he graduated from college he held 7 school scoring records, then spent six weeks with the Syracuse Nets before returning to SDSU for his Masters Degree in 1962. He earned a doctorate degree in 1975. Don was inducted in to the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame April 1, 2000. He was also inducted in to the South Dakota State University Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. "Jake" Don was also named as the 26th greatest athlete from South Dakota by Sports Illustrated.

Don loved Basketball, enjoyed golf, and teasing his grandchildren who loved to tease him back. He was a loving and kind father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He enjoyed playing cards with his brothers, children and grandchildren and appreciated watching a good western.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; one grandchild, Dakota; four brothers, Floyd, Dale, Arrol and Darrel. Survivors include his wife: Jan: three sons: Donald Jr., Scott and his Wife Pam, Jon and his wife Becky; Two Step-children: Kevin, Kerri and her partner Shannon: Nine grandchildren: Amber, Sadie, Beau, Austin, Chanc, Madi, Tyler, Nolan and Jessica: Six step-grandchildren, Cassandra, Cole, Caylee, Gage, Lukas, and Payton, and 13 great grandchildren. Two brothers: Neil and his partner (Judy), Farrel and his wife Linda: Two Sisters; Marion and her husband Robert, Erma and her husband Alan; and many other relatives and friends.