Alfred Jacobs

Alfred Edward Jacobs, age 101, passed away on January 19, 2026, just 5 days shy of his 102nd birthday.

Alfred was preceded in death by his late wife Sally Upton Jacobs. He is survived by his son Glenn of Aguadilla PR, by his son Elliott and daughter-in-law Marlene of East Bridgewater MA, and his grandchildren Brooks of Vicenza Italy and Bryn of Washington DC.

Alfred Jacobs was born on January 24, 1924. He grew up in the coal mining town of Carbondale Pennsylvania, the son of a Welsh coal mine electrician and his German bookkeeper wife. Alfred was an unusual kid from a hardscrabble area, with perfect musical pitch and a love for the opera performances he listened to on the radio. He was the only opera student in the Carbondale area, and he enjoyed performing at local churches and events – even his own high school graduation ceremony.

Alfred tried to enlist in the military after graduating from high school but was rejected for being too short. Instead, he accepted a position working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. As luck would have it, Uncle Sam soon decided that his 5'2" stature was no longer an impediment, and Alfred was drafted into the United States Army where he served as an anti-aircraft gunner in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Alfred was injured in a fatal troop transport vehicle accident in New Guinea and spent 2 months in the hospital in the Philippines with his jaw wired shut. When he recovered, he was reassigned to a military police unit where he served until returning home.

Upon discharge from the Army in 1945, Alfred moved to Massachusetts where he followed his lifelong dream and became a performing opera singer, eventually using the GI bill to pursue his bachelor's degree in music education at Lowell Teachers College. Alfred met his future wife Sally, a reading teacher, when they were both singers with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston and they married in 1951. Alfred taught vocal performance to high school students in Amherst and Springfield, Massachusetts and directed the select madrigal singing group. He earned his master's degree in education from Westfield State Teachers College. In 1965, he relocated with his wife and their two young sons Glenn and Elliott to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands after enjoying a visit there during their winter vacation.

Alfred taught music to kindergarten through college-age students in St. Croix's public schools and university for nearly 20 years. He was the choral director of Central High School's Vocal Ensemble and arranged their award-winning performances at festivals and shows in the Caribbean and along the US East Coast. He was especially proud of their many concerts for troops given at US military bases. Alfred served as Superintendent of Fine Arts for the US Virgin Islands public school system. He was the conductor of the St. Croix Chorale Society, a select community-based chorus. Alfred was the chairperson of the Virgin Islands Concert Association and organized concerts held in St. Croix featuring world renowned recording artists.

Alfred and Sally enjoyed many years of retirement from teaching beginning in 1984. When they lost their St Croix home to Hurricane Hugo in 1989, they relocated to Stuart, Florida – volunteering there for the Nature Conservancy during the winter months and hiking during summers spent at Chipmunk Cabin in Readfield, Maine. They traveled extensively throughout Europe, Scandinavia, Central America, Canada, and the US. Soon after his wife Sally died in 2009, Alfred left Florida and moved in with his younger son Elliott and his family in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Alfred continued to summer at Chipmunk Cabin, where he was an avid mountain hiker and bicyclist on the back roads in Maine. At the age of 87, Alfred was clocked passing a car going down a hill at nearly 40 mph. His outdoor exploits were featured in an article in the Kennebec Journal newspaper when he was 92 years old. He took his last big mountain hike at the age of 93. With an easy disposition, Al was a presence, whether hiking Katahdin's Knife Edge, swimming laps in Lovejoy Pond with fins as long as he was or watching the world below from his Adirondack chair on the cabin porch on the hill.

Alfred remained active until a debilitating stroke in May 2018. With daily therapy and determination, he recovered his ability to walk, talk, and eat, and moved to All American Assisted Living in Hanson in July 2019. His sweet demeanor made Alfred a staff favorite and he loved playing BINGO, watching golf and New England sports on TV, and sitting outside in the warm sunshine. He was proud of his framed birthday letter from fellow Pennsylvanian Joe Biden and enjoyed sharing his family photo album with visitors. Alfred cherished visits with his family and video chats with his grandchildren. Most of all, Alfred missed his late wife, Sally. They were married for 57 years.

A celebration of Alfred's life will be held at a later date.