JOHN JACOBUS

1963 - 2021

JACOBUS--John Law. After a brief but hard-fought battle with cancer, John Law Jacobus, of Washington, DC, passed away on January 2, 2021. He was 57 years old. Born in Washington, DC, on December 23, 1963, John grew up in Princeton, NJ, and graduated from Princeton Day School in 1982. He attended Harvard University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in History and graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. At Harvard, John was a recipient of the Detur Prize, a John Harvard Scholarship, and the Whitehill Prize. After college, John received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1989 from the Harvard Law School. Following a clerkship under the Hon. Maryanne T. Barry, at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, John served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC. While at the Justice Department, John received two Special Achievement Awards from the Attorney General, for Sustained Superior Performance of Duty (1993) and for Meritorious Acts Performed on Behalf of the Department (1994). John next joined a large national law firm, then served as the general counsel in a family-owned business, the Jacobus Pharmaceutical Company, Inc., a position he relished. Returning to firm practice at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP, in Washington, DC, John remained there for the rest of his career. Elected partner at Steptoe in 2001, John specialized in commercial litigation and arbitrations; he also served as chair of the Insurance and Reinsurance Practice Section of Lex Mundi, the world's largest assembly of private law firms. While at Steptoe, John also devoted a significant amount of time to pro bono work, helping persecuted or tortured immigrants reach the safety of the United States, and leading litigation on behalf of developmentally delayed children against the government of the District of Columbia. John cherished reading and collecting books on World War II and history in general. Together with his partner (and later husband) of 23 years, John also enjoyed traveling and seeing both the cultural sites of the world and its geographical wonders, from Argentina to Zimbabwe and dozens of countries in between. John appreciated the vibrancy of urban spaces, but relished getting deep into rustic places as well. He was particularly fond of walking in the woods and along the rocky cliffs at Isle au Haut, Maine, where his family has spent summers for many generations. Isle au Haut often inspired deeply contemplative moments in John, especially at night, when the ink- black sky was spread with stars and the murmurs of the ocean sounded nearby. Character was destiny for John, and he exemplified the belief that kindness was the greatest wisdom. He was utterly devoted to his husband, David Uhler, and was beloved by his family and many friends. John was predeceased by his brother, William Penman Jacobus, to whom he lovingly gave many hours of thoughtful care during a prolonged period of illness in William's life. In addition to his husband, John is survived by his parents, David and Claire Jacobus of Princeton, NJ; his sister Marget Jacobus of Westfield, MA; his sister and brother-in-law Claire Jacobus and Andrew Hildick-Smith of Winchester, MA; his sister Laura Jacobus of Princeton, NJ; three nephews (Gordon, Seth, and Neil Hildick-Smith), a niece (Ellen Jacobus), and a new grand-niece, Sophie, daughter of Gordon and his wife Alice Wisener. A memorial service for John will be planned for a later date. Those who would like to honor John's memory in the meantime may wish to make a donation in his honor to the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University (lombardi.georgetown. edu/giving); the Isle au Haut (Maine) Community Development Corporation (isleauhaut.org); or the Shakespeare Theatre Company of Washington, DC (shakespearetheatre.org/ support/ways-to-give).