A fateful return to Erin Hills after father’s death
Family dealt with 2 losses within days of each other
Bill Jacobs returned to Erin Hills in the middle of September.
He was there to play a round of golf with his son and to remember all that happened on that late spring day in June.
As they reached the 6th green, Jacobs paused and reflected.
This was where he and his father spent their last precious moments together, watching the greatest golfers in the world pass by during the second round of the U.S. Open.
“I walked over there and looked,” he said. “It was a lot different. I just thought, how lucky he was.”
Marshall (Chick) Jacobs, 94, in frail health, just slipped away that June day and died of a heart attack. Three days earlier, his wife, Lucille, 88, passed away surrounded by family.
Their story touched many and went viral. Their son is still absorbing all that happened.
He got through Thanksgiving. He’ll get through Christmas.
“My mom and dad, they led a pretty quiet life,” Jacobs said. “They weren’t in the news.”
They were married for 68 years. They built a life together in Wauwatosa, raised two children and watched over five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was an engineer. She was a homemaker.
And they loved golf.
At the funeral, Bill and his sister, Patti Loftin, gave the eulogies.
Their dad’s old golf buddies showed up and so did some of his old co-workers from ACDelco.
And their mom’s friends were there, too, including members of the Women’s Club of Wauwatosa.
Jacobs remains grateful for the support shown by Erin Hills and the United States Golf Association.
A lot of people told him how sorry they were about the deaths.
“I’m sorry, too,” he said. “We go through this walk in this world. They had their hardships with their health. My mom died peacefully. I was with my dad when he passed away.”
“He just fell asleep,” he said. “There was no struggle at all.”