Robert Stanley Jacobus September 11, 1924 April 22, 2016 Robert Stanley Jacobus, 91, of Bellwood passed away at his home on April 22, 2016. Bob was born in East Orange, N.J. on September 11, 1924. He graduated from high school in 1943, and then enlisted in the US Army (Air Force). After more than a year of college training, he gained the rank of Second Lieutenant and then served as a navigator on a B-24 Bomber (8th Air Force) stationed in England during WWII. During his duties there, he flew 23 combat missions over Germany and France from the fall of 1944 through spring of 1945. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the Air medal with two Clusters, European Theatre Ribbon with three Battle Stars, and the Presidential Unit Battalion with one Cluster. Later in life he was honored when the French Consulate General bestowed on him the rank of Knight of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his service in the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. When he returned to the U.S. in August of 1945, he benefited from the G.I. Bill, and enrolled at Penn State in their Mechanical Engineering School. From the stress of war, servicemen needed relaxation too, so Penn State sponsored free student dances with big-name bands at Rec Hall. At one of those dances, he met a special girl and asked if she wanted to jitterbug. He didn't know then, but that decision would change his life forever. That girl was Elizabeth (Betty) Watts, who became the love of his life and soulmate for 68 years. In 1951, Bob graduated from Penn State with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and soon found a position at the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Mill in Tyrone. Over the years he worked in many departments of the Mill and became their Chief Engineer. His career with Westvaco spanned 38 years, until he retired in 1989. With his work close by, in 1951, Bob, Betty and son Bobby moved into the original farmhouse on the family farm. Bob enjoyed his home, farm life, gardening (flowers for Betty), hunting, fishing and travel. With his wife and soon four children in tow, vacations involved camping trips across the U.S. and Canada so his family could appreciate and explore distant places. On those long trips everyone from the youngest to the oldest, had chores when the caravan stopped. Although Bob had other opportunities over the years, he always preferred to stay with his family and friends at their farm in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. Bob believed in helping his community, and during his lifetime served as a school board member for two terms, representing Bellwood-Antis on the Altoona Vo-tech Center. He served as an elder at the Logan Valley Presbyterian Church, and always enjoyed fellowship there. Bob and Betty also were one of four couples who founded the Bellwood-Antis Public Library. He continued to believe in service to his country, and for five years served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Bob will be remembered for his keen sense of humor, ability to size up any situation with few words, a knack for fixing all kinds of things, and most of all his unconditional love for his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty; his son Bob (Andrea); his son Ron (Mark); his daughter, Wendy (Larry); his daughter, Sally (George); his sister-in-law, Madeline; five grandchildren, Jordan, Jonathan, Rhonda, Raina, and Taylor; and one great-grandchild, Rowan. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Robert S. Jacobus Award, College of Engineering, 101 Hammond Building, University Park, PA 16802 or to Logan Valley Presbyterian Church 400 S. 1st Street Bellwood, PA 16617. A service to celebrate Bob's life will be held at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 22, 2016, at Logan Valley Presbyterian Church, Bellwood. A private family service will be held at their convenience. Arrangements are by Jon C. Russin Funeral Home, Inc., Bellwood. russinfuneralhome.com
