Brad Jacobson

Brad died in his sleep early in the morning on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Jefferson City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jefferson City, Missouri where he had been a resident for the last three and a half years and had been in a hospice program for a remarkable twenty-eight months.
Brad was born on June 12, 1951, in Wilmington, Delaware, the third of four children. He grew up in the Holly Oak Terrace neighborhood of Wilmington. Although there were concerns after a difficult delivery that Brad would not be able to play sports, he went on to gain his varsity letter in and star in three of them at Mt. Pleasant High School, played freshman basketball in college, and became a physical fitness devotee, participating in triathlons, until the last years of his life. After high school, Brad attended the University of Delaware and, after a slow start, graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and subsequently went on to earn four Master's degrees as he once again overcame any obstacles placed before him.
After spending time working at Southern Illinois University, Brad spent over thirty years in Columbia at the University of Missouri where he set up and oversaw recreation programs, developed a wheelchair basketball program for disabled students and taught English as a second language.
Brad was kind, outgoing and made many friends. He visited his family in the Boston area frequently and when they walked through Cambridge together, he was more likely to encounter friends than they were. Brad had a strong Jewish identity, attending services at both Congregation Beth Shalom and Mizzou Chabad in Columbia, Missouri. He took many trips to Israel, where he got married, and subsequently wrote two books of poetry about his deeply emotional reaction to his broad range of experiences there.
As his health began to deteriorate over the last several years, Brad's indomitable spirit enabled him to endure as long as he did. He is survived by his sister Susan Model and her husband George and his nephews Jon and Jeff, all of whom live in the Boston area, his older brother Steve in Atlanta, Georgia, his younger brother Eric in Newark, Delaware, and his loyal ex-wife Priya Johnston in Wellford, South Carolina.
Graveside service will be held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 2:30pm at Columbia Cemetery, 30 E. Broadway Columbia, MO 65203.
Arrangements are under the direction of Parker-Millard Funeral Service & Crematory, 12 East Ash Street, Columbia, MO 65203 (573) 449-4153. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.millardfamilychapels.com