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Mary Patricia (Rasmussen) Jacobsen

Mary Jacobsen, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away June 24, 2018, after a courageous 10-year battle with cancer.

Mary Patricia Rasmussen was born Oct. 8, 1954, to the late Gerald and Maureen (Connelly) Rasmussen, at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Her father was career Air Force, so there were frequent moves with most of Mary’s school years spent in Georgia and California. Mary lived in San Diego, Calif., until relocating to Northern Idaho in the early ’90s with her (then) husband, Jake Jacobsen. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in social work at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, and worked at Aging and Adult Services of Northern Idaho until her illness forced early retirement.

Mary was a lifelong avid reader and learner. She loved researching and informing her community, and treasured her book club meetings. She enjoyed music, art and design. A longtime supporter of the San Diego Padres, she really loved college basketball and was an ardent fan of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. She took a deep interest in community affairs, serving on the Hayden City Council and advocating for women’s issues and social justice throughout her life.

Mary is survived by her siblings; her brothers, David Rasmussen and Stephen Rasmussen of California, and William (Marilyn) of Oregon; her sisters, Eileen Combs (Mike Mendez), Paula Rasmussen and Ann (Tate) Miles, all of Oregon, and Maggie Rasmussen and Theresa Rasmussen of California. She is also survived by several nephews and nieces, and a great many longtime friends and colleagues.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Katherine and Mary Jo, and her former husband, Jeffrey (Jake) Jacobsen.

Mary’s family will have a private memorial gathering later. The family wishes to extend sincere gratitude to the multitude of doctors, nurses and dear friends for their loving care. We very much admired Mary’s strength and courage in the fight against cancer, and we will miss her very much.