Obituary: JACOBSON, JOSEPH

Joseph Stead JacobsonMay 06, 1913 ~ June 11, 2012A weather forecaster, career army officer, professor, translator, publisher, Joseph Stead Jacobson, aged 99, died at his Holladay home, June 11, 2012 of causes incident to age. Born May 6, 1913 in Sugarhouse, UT to Sarah Rebecca Stay and Baltzar Hans Jacobson, he was the fourth of nine children. He married Viola Nordgren April 6, 1937 in Coalville, UT.His survivors include Viola, his wife of 75 years, sister Catherine Walther, sons Joseph Douglas (Jeannie) of Woodbridge VA and Donald Eugene (Carolyn Bennion) of Ogden, daughters Annette Thompson (Glenn), Midvale and Susana Viola Jacobson (Susan Covey, M.D. dec.), Murray, eight grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by brothers Leo and Cecil and sisters Rowena J. Miller, Dorothy Jacobson, Rebecca Marie Knaphus, Margaret Williams and Phyllis Riches.After attending Granite High School he graduated from LDS High School in 1930. He was a member of the Motorless Aviation Club 1930-33 and received degrees from the University of Utah, a B. A. in Military Science & Tactics, 1948, an M.A. in German, 1965, and a Ph.D. in Middle East Studies -Turkish in 1972. He was a member of the honor society Phi Kappa Phi and was a Fulbright Fellow to Istanbul, Turkey, 1969-70. Working for Mountain States Telephone Co., 1936-38, and the US Weather Bureau 1939-41, preceded his career in the U. S. Army from Aug. 1941 to his retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel in May 1959. He served in Puerto Rico with the 25th Field Artillery Bn. during World War II and was in the European Theater from 1944-45 with the Third Army. As a Ballistics Meteorologist, he worked at White Sands Proving Ground during the firing of V2's in 1947 and at the Artillery Center, Fort Sill. Oklahoma, 1947-50. He attended the Army Language School, Monterey CA, Strategic Intelligence Course Washington D.C. and served as an Army Attaché in Ankara, Turkey from 1953-55. He was then the Deputy Sector Reserve Commander at Fort Douglas from 1955-59. After military retirement, he taught at Salt Lake Community College from 1959-63 and University of Utah Middle East Center for 22 yrs. where he retired as Professor Emeritus of Languages and Literature in 1981. With his wife, Viola, he spent his retirement translating and publishing numerous short stories and several books from Turkish literature and founded Southmoor Studios, publishers, in 1999. They also enjoyed fishing, bowling, camping, vegetable gardening, swimming and traveling. He donated his body to the University of Utah Medical School that future medical professionals may learn from him. There will be no immediate services though he will be honored at the Celebration of Life Monument in the 2012 ceremony and at the Donor Gravesite in the SLC Cemetery when he is interred. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Body Donor Program, University of Utah, School of Medicine. The family wishes to extend their gratitude for all the graceful help and guidance received from the Silverado Hospice professionals and to the Body Donor program for their sensitive care and handling of our needs. We will miss him but we carry many memories of his wonderful stories and endless jokes and will always be proud of his remarkable life.