Robert Michael Jacobs, affectionately known as “Jake,” passed away peacefully on Friday, February 20th, at 4:03 p.m. ET at VCU Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since November following a double lung transplant. He was 71 years old. Surrounded by family and friends, he fought courageously through many obstacles before ultimately succumbing to complications from surgery. True to the way he lived, he battled with determination and heart until the very end.

Jake was born on February 13, 1955, in Washington D.C. He was the son of Joanne Frances Winn, and was lovingly raised by his grandparents, Robert C. and Juanita (Dutch) Bailey Hool. During his teen years, he was guided and supported by his Aunt Shirley Peters. Those early influences shaped the steady, devoted, and deeply loving man he would become.

He earned his GED and soon after enlisted in the United States Army, beginning what would become more than 40 years of devoted service. The Army was not simply his profession — it was his life’s calling. He worked in logistics and traveled extensively, embracing every assignment with pride. He was fiercely proud to be an American and deeply proud of his decades of service. Retirement in 2023 marked the close of a remarkable military chapter, but his identity as a patriot and servant-leader never left him.

Jake was a man of profound and unwavering faith. God was central to his life. Even in the hospital, when family and friends gathered around his bedside and played hymns, he would attempt to sing at the top of his lungs. Among the Bible verses he kept close were Psalm 23, Jeremiah 29:11–14, and Philippians 4:4–9; scriptures that reflected both his strength and his joy.

And joy was something Jake carried in abundance. He had a big, genuine smile and an infectious warmth that made strangers feel like lifelong friends. He almost never met a person he could not connect with. Whether through a shared story, a laugh, or a spirited conversation, he had a way of drawing people in. He never did anything halfway. Everything he did — loving his family, serving his country, cheering his favorite team — he did with his whole heart.

Among Jake’s greatest passions were his beloved Washington Redskins. A devoted season ticket holder, he proudly surrounded himself — and often with what he wore — in the team’s colors of burgundy and gold. He even owned a 1984 Porsche decked out in team colors, complete with memorabilia and a horn that joyfully played “Hail to the Redskins.” His enthusiasm was unmistakable and infectious, especially among fellow fans and tailgaters who shared in his spirited loyalty.

Jake’s heart was equally devoted to his family and to the pets he cherished as family members. He was preceded in death by his siblings Evelyn Kemeys, John J. Jacobs, Catherine A. Jacobs, Kenneth (“Kenny”) E. Winn, Florence Brooks, and Albert Winn, as well as his beloved pets Blackie, Bruno, Brownie, Samantha (“Ding Dong”), Sammie (“Sammie Sumo White Socks”), and Luna. He is survived by his loving wife, Retno Jacobs; his sons Robert Michael Jacobs Jr. (Aimee Jacobs), Gerry Leonard, and Andrew Jacobs; and his daughter Faith Taylor (Mercer Taylor). He leaves behind cherished grandchildren Sydney Jacobs, Ethan Jacobs, Landon Bradley, Dylan Jacobs, Mariah Holness, and Javon Holness (Alexis Holness); great-grandchildren Saylor West and Kaidyn Holness; and his loyal pets Duke and Cinta.

In recent years, Jake found deep contentment in quieter joys. He loved gardening with Retno, spending hours tending to their plants and talking to the birds. Jake was loving and passionate in everything he did, and everything he did was done with pure love. He had a heart that was both powerful and gentle, a spirit that was joyful and steadfast. His life was defined by service, faith, devotion, and connection. Those who knew him will remember his endless stories, booming voice, his laughter, his boundless enthusiasm, and the way he made each person feel seen and valued.

His was a life lived fully, fiercely, and with extraordinary heart.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at the Colonial Heights Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes, 2033 Boulevard, Colonial Heights, VA 23834. Interment will take place following the service at 2:00 p.m. in the Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia, 10300 Pridesville Road, Amelia Court House, VA 23002, with full Military Honors. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2026, at the funeral home.