- Date Of Birth: October 13, 1939
- Date Of Death: October 19, 2022
- State: Pennsylvania
John W. “Jack” Jacob, 83, recently of Washington DC, but for most of his life of Bethlehem, died peacefully after a long and valiant battle with Alzheimer’s Disease on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in the Hospice Unit at Sibley Memorial Hospital, Washington, DC with family by his side. He was the husband of Karen M. (Kaprelian) Jacob with whom he celebrated 59 years of marriage on December 1, 2021 (almost 60!). Born in Quakertown, he was the son of the late John and Anita (Potts) Jacob. He loved music, golf (if tortured by it), reading, a very cold beer, being with family and friends, and following Karen around while she shopped (which was a form of exercise – holding the bags and all). A 1957 graduate of Liberty High School, Jack received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Business Administration from Moravian College in 1961. He served as a Sergeant in the United States Army Reserves. Jack began his career at Exxon Corp. where he was a Sales Representative and Credit Supervisor in Bala Cynwyd. He then accepted the position of Assistant Business Manager and Member of the President’s Committee on Long-Range Educational Planning at Cedar Crest College. In 1970, Jack was brought in as the Acting Business Manager of both the Moravian Seminary for Girls and the Moravian Preparatory School. In this position, he oversaw the merger of those two historic schools and then took over full fiscal responsibility for the newly-formed Moravian Academy, a school he truly loved, as its Director of Financial Affairs. Jack held that position for the next 35 years before retiring in 2005. Jack served as a consultant to the National Association of Independent Schools, the Academy for Educational Development, and Salem College. He was always involved in the community that he loved, and served for years as a Board member and officer of the Moravian Widow’s Society, the Moravian Church, Eastern District Commission on Christian Education, the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools, and Alternative House. He was a member and director of the Bethlehem Rotary and Lions International. Jack was a lifelong member of the Moravian Church. Above all, Jack loved his family and friends, who always made him smile. Jack loved birds and fed them too much. He loved to travel with his family and fed them too much, too. He cherished family trips to places as far away as Peddler’s Village, but also Long Beach Island, the Catskills, Cape May (the “Jetty”), Williamsburg, Virgin Gorda, California, Martha’s Vineyard, Italy, and the family estate in Ft. Myers (the seashells!), and would smile as he talked about them to everyone.
Survivors: Beloved and Beautiful Wife, Karen; son, John R. Jacob and his wife Karen of Chevy Chase, MD; daughter, Amy wife of Kelley Connolly of Augusta, GA; brother, Thomas L. Jacob of Bethlehem; granddaughters, Sosie, Sage, Eleanor, and Kate; granddogs, Chappy and Henry, not to mention, Ken, Sue, Kenny, Carole, Pete, Courtney, Mike, Viv, Chris, Kira, Chloe, Lily, Matthew, and Nico (we could go on). He was predeceased by his brother, Donald R. Jacob.
