A little over a week ago Brookhaven lost a grand lady and a leader when Patricia Patterson Jacobs died just short of the age of 99.

Jacobs and her husband, Charles, immersed themselves completely in our community when they moved here in 1958 after purchasing what was then the Brookhaven Leader-Times, a twice-weekly newspaper. Brookhaven and Mississippi were new to both, but they quickly got involved in serving the community interests of their chosen home.

Until they retired in 1995, the Jacobs — along with many others of their generation in our community — provided for us an incredible example of what it means to “pay our civic rent.” They set a challenge for us to take their places as they have left their families and us.

Mrs. Jacobs, while writing and taking photographs for the newspaper and handling bookkeeping for the business, raised three sons.  At the same time, Mrs. Jacobs knew the importance of community stewardship and spent 34 years as a board member of the Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library system, many of those years as board chairman. She was also appointed to the five-member board of the State Library Commission.

Mrs. Jacobs served as a board member for multiple terms at King’s Daughters Hospital, as well as a member of the Board of Governors of the Willing Hearts Circle, during the construction of the hospital and Silver Cross Home. She served as chairman of both boards. She also served as an appointed member of the Mississippi Board of Hospital Trustees.

She co-chaired the Lincoln County 1776 Bicentennial Committee, which led to the creation of Bi-Centennial Park in Brookhaven.

These are only a part of Mrs. Jacobs’ contributions to Brookhaven. Her late husband, Charles, was intensely involved in economic development projects, including taking a lead role in efforts to secure the Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Delphi and other projects through his work with the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Development Foundation.

One of the Jacobs’ sons, Bill, still lives here and has followed his parents footsteps as a community leader while running this newspaper and thereafter. 

Because of the social and civic investment of the Jacobs and others like them, Brookhaven is a prosperous, growing community. Such people are an inspiration to those now here to assume leadership roles for the good of our community.

Let the lives of the Jacobs, who we recognize and honor here, serve as a reminder to all of the importance of getting involved, of the importance of paying our civic rent to this place where we have chosen to work, live, raise and educate our children.

We are thankful for the investment the Jacobs and so many others made in the community we enjoy today — along with many who now follow in their footsteps.