The family of Dr. David S. Jacobs, of blessed memory, is honoring his memory with a gift to Jewish Family Services’ (JFS) KesherKC Food Pantry to continue battling food insecurity.
The gift was made by Jacobs’ family, which includes his wife, Judy; his four children; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Jacobs was a physician who cared for many people during his career. He also had a passion for helping beyond his medical practice, especially for those who faced food insecurity.
“It’s important to remember David for a cause that was important to him,” Judy Jacobs said. “David believed that people who are hungry should be fed.”
Dr. Jacobs had a lifelong interest in helping those with food insecurity. He grew up in Detroit, Michigan, during the Great Depression, and when he was a child, his father became disabled with blindness and heart disease. His mother was a social worker. Being an only child, Jacobs was driven to succeed.
Jacobs earned his undergraduate and medical degree from the University of Michigan where he also served his pathology residency. Later, he completed a fellowship in clinical pathology and transfusion medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Jacobs served as a captain in the U.S. Army and was director of laboratories at Army hospitals in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, and Fort Riley, Kansas.
After finishing his training, Jacobs joined the pathology department of Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Two years later, he assumed the role of pathologist and director of laboratories at Providence-St. Margaret Medical Center, a position he held for nearly 30 years. He was dedicated to delivering excellent patient care and academic-level medical care. Colleagues teased him for the number of annotations in his medical reports. Jacobs’ family members said it was essential to him to demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism, and that he strove for excellence in all things.
Jacobs strongly believed in community and public service and devoted his services to areas where he had professional expertise. He was one of five signers of the articles of incorporation creating the Heart of America Association of Blood Banks. As a clinical professor at both the University of Kansas College of Health Sciences and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, he taught and mentored medical students and pathology residents. He served as an officer and board member of numerous professional organizations. As a surgical pathologist, he often testified as an expert witness in legal cases and donated his fees to a local food bank.
Later in his career, Jacobs co-wrote and was senior editor-in-chief of a seminal work in clinical pathology, “Jacobs & DeMott Laboratory Test Handbook.” It was updated through five editions.
Family was important to Jacobs. Together with his wife, Judy, he raised four children. Judy Jacobs and her parents survived the Holocaust and received crucial help during their very early years in the United States from Jewish social service organizations in Brookline, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. That inspired Dr. Jacobs to support similar organizations.
After his retirement, Jacobs built a model railroad for his first grandchildren, enjoyed the artistic demands of the craft and eventually received Master Model Railroader certification (a designation of the National Model Railroad Association).
Jacobs was also an enthusiastic sailor and spent weeks every summer enjoying the lake and sailing with his children and grandchildren.
“There is no better way to honor a loved one than to make a special gift that reflects that loved one’s passion and commitment,” JFS Chief Development Officer Debbie Bass said. “Judy did just that when she and her family made this very generous gift to JFS in memory of her husband… What a tremendous honor for JFS to be part of this remembrance.”
Those interested in giving opportunities for JFS should contact Bass at or (913) 327-8299. Donations may also be made at jfskc.org/ways-to-give.
