Nancy Baker Jacobs

Nancy Baker Jacobs died suddenly on May 5 after a fall in her home in Pacific Grove, California, at 80. Nancy entered the world in Wisconsin during World War II. Her father’s work kept the family on the move until they finally put down roots in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The oldest of three, she excelled in school as an honors student and National Merit Scholar, and she threw herself into high school theater. She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from the University of Minnesota, followed by an MFA in writing from the University of Southern California.

Nancy built a trailblazing career at a time when few women held her roles. She stepped into male-dominated newsrooms and classrooms and set new expectations simply by being there. She wrote six nonfiction books and 13 crime novels, winning national recognition. She taught journalism, edited newspapers, reported stories from the field, administered college programs, and even worked as a private detective. Nancy preferred simply doing the work over talking about it. She rarely spoke about her achievements; others had to draw them into the light.

Her devotion to the people she loved never wavered. She lovingly championed her late husband, Jerry Jacobs — an acclaimed broadcast journalism producer and professor — and guided her mother through a long neurological illness with fierce compassion. She supported her son, Bradley Baker of Oakland, through every chapter of life. Nancy tended friendships across decades and distance, and she welcomed new ones generously. She and Jerry regularly opened their home for holidays and gatherings, making a joyful community of the people they cherished. Direct and discerning, she gave her time to what mattered and to whom it mattered.

Nancy applied her intellect and curiosity to confront social injustice. Her writing exposed the harms of racial and religious bigotry, attacks on women’s rights, child abuse, greed, and the stakes of illnesses such as breast cancer. Even in retirement, she kept contributing her voice and her skills to causes she valued, including writing for the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. Nancy was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula, where she led the Women’s Discussion Group for many years.

According to her wishes, Nancy’s ashes will be scattered in the sea she loved in a private family gathering.

If you wish to make a donation in Nancy’s memory, she was a longtime supporter of The Food Bank for Monterey County: https://foodbankformontereycounty.org/.

Nancy leaves behind a far-reaching circle of people grateful for her presence in their lives: former students, colleagues, readers of her many books, and dear friends. She is also survived by her son, sister, brother, two granddaughters, extended family, and beloved chosen family. The term “survivors” may imply her absence, yet Nancy continues to live vividly in the conversations, stories, humor, and integrity she inspired.