Philip Lee Jacobus

Jacobus, Philip Lee (Phil) Madisonâ?¬??Philip Lee (Phil) Jacobus, age 67, of Madison, died on December 10, 2008 after living for 4 ½ years with melanoma. He attributed the vitality of his last two years of life to the help he received from the Center for the Advancement in Cancer Education. At the end of life he was attended with great care by the staff of HospiceCare, to whom we are very grateful. Phil was born to Stanley and Mabel (Rhead) Jacobus on March 16, 1941 in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and was raised on a dairy farm near Taylor, Wisconsin. He attended the Taylor schools and graduated from Taylor High School in 1959. After attending college in Eau Claire for two years, Phil transferred to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he graduated with a BS in electrical engineering in 1964. He later earned an MS degree in the same field in 1982 while he was employed at Madison Gas and Electric. Phil held several positions at MG&E during his 32 years there, including Director of Electric Production. Although he was educated and worked as an engineer, Phil could not get the farm out of his blood, and he lived on a small, working farmette on the edge of Madison for most of his working years, raising chickens and milking cows. He did take time out to go hunting and fishing regularly, too. At the same time, he was very much involved with Bible Study Fellowship, acting as a discussion leader with the group for several years. After retiring from active employment, Phil turned to volunteer employment, serving mainly as a one-man library and patient transporter at St. Marys Care Center. His work there earned him the distinction of being named Volunteer of the Year in 2002. Phil and his wife were honored for their volunteer work at the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota, and Phil volunteered as a driver for the Hot SpringsVeterans Hospital and helped at the nursing home in Hot Springs. Along with all this, Phil took up a new hobby at retirement: bicycling. He joined Sports for Active Seniors and went on many trips with them. He also went on many century rides all over the state. In the summer of 2007, Phil made a bike ride of over 150 miles in two days. Phil also hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon when he had cancer, and to the top of Harney Peak. When bicycling and hiking were no longer possible for him, he took to the skies and started to take flying lessons just a few months before his death. On July 3, 1966 Phil married Connie Shaheen in Winner, SD. They became the parents of four children, whom they raised along with the cows and chickens. These are the survivors: his wife, Connie; three sons: Aaron (Tania) of Arena, WI; Adam (Adrienne) of Boerne, TX; Seth (Amy Gail) of Madison; one daughter: Rachel of Madison; a brother: John of Prescott, AZ; 8 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. Memorial services will be held at Blackhawk Church, 9620 Brader Way, Verona, WI, on Saturday, December 27, 2008. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 10:15 a.m. with a luncheon to follow. Please make all gifts to The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education (CACE), 300 E. Lancaster Avenue, Suite 100, Wynnewood, PA, 19096. Phil was continually in the Bible for help and encouragement and hope, and this is what he left for us to remember: Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, And my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5 Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Centers 7435 University Ave. (608) 831-6761 www.gundersonfh.com