Y. Pete Jacob

Pete was born in the city of Urmia, in the northeast corner of Persia, of Assyrian Christian heritage, the son of his mother, Joann, whose greatest prayer was that her children would one day reach America. A diligent student and gifted athlete, Pete played semi-professional soccer in his homeland until the age of 22, when he stepped onto a ship bound for a new world with nothing but a wool blanket and a new suit jacket — carrying faith, courage, and hope across the Atlantic Ocean.

Pete credited his father, David, with instilling in him a strong work ethic and preparing him for his future studies. In what Pete called “this great country,” he earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, and then a master's degree in chemical engineering at Michigan State University. While in the youth group of a small Christian church in Angola, Pete met the love of his life, Dorothy "Dottie" Combs — a girl from Hazard, Kentucky. Together, they shared 57 years of marriage, building a life grounded in faith, laughter, and unwavering devotion.

Pete’s work took him from R.R. Donnelley in Chicago to Crawfordsville, Indiana, and eventually to Delaware, Ohio, where he and Dottie raised their two sons and purchased a printing ink manufacturing company. In those early days, the road from Delaware to downtown Columbus had no stoplights, and Pete’s future seemed just as open.

A lover of sport and community, Pete helped found the Delaware Youth Athletic Association Soccer League. He found joy in soccer, volleyball, and the quiet challenge of golf, which he taught his grandsons to play and continued to play himself well into his early nineties.

Pete lived the American dream not just through hard work, but through friendship, service, and optimism. A proud member of the Delaware Optimist Club, he embodied its spirit wherever he went. He made friends easily and kept them for life — neighbors like Betty and “Big” Larry Cordial, parents of “Cinderella” (Cindy) and her brother, “Little” Larry; and countless customers and colleagues who became family, including Sharon Cash, Duree Engle, and Denver Lanham. His faith anchored him as a lifelong member of Reverend David Redding’s Liberty Presbyterian Church in Powell, Ohio. As a resident of First Community Village in Upper Arlington, Pete continued to share his gifts of connection and fellowship with neighbors and staff alike.

Above all else, Pete loved his family. He was gentle with children, honest in his work, and generous in his kindness. In his later years, he became the full-time caregiver for Dottie — his blond-haired girl from Hazard, Kentucky — proving that love is not only spoken, but lived. When strangers heard his Middle Eastern accent and asked where he was from, Pete would smile and say, “Hazard, Kentucky.” Few believed him, but everyone believed in him.

Pete was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Dottie, and by his brothers, Joe and Jacque, as well as his uncle William Yohannan — the first of the family to reach the United States of America after surviving the Armenian/Assyrian massacres and then proudly serving in the United States Navy.

He is survived by his sister, Julie Golpashin, who was the last of his siblings to journey to America and who served as a nurse, retiring from Delaware’s Grady Memorial Hospital. He leaves behind his sons: Bill Jacob (Carolyn), named for his uncle; and Joe Jacob (Tina), named for Pete’s eldest brother, the first of four siblings to come to America.

Pete’s heart and time belonged especially to his six grandchildren: David (Venessa), Laura (Martin), Allison (Justin), and Elsa (Luay), the children of Bill and Carolyn; and Peter and Ellie, the children of Joe and Tina — the grandchildren to whom he would always say with a smile, “You make my day.”

He also cherished his many nephews and nieces: David (Natasha) and Mark (Liz); Roge (Shawn) and Joy (Mike); Edmund (Nancy) and Albert; John (Tracy); and David (Freida). His goddaughter, Jana Bradbury Webb (Joey) was very special to him, along with her brother Daren, children of his lifelong friends Ollie and Jim Bradbury.

Pete worked, played, loved, and prayed.

We know he has been welcomed into Heaven, presented to God blameless through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and reunited at last with his girl from Hazard, Kentucky.

A celebration of life will take place at Schoedinger Northwest, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, Ohio 43221 on Friday, March 6th. Visitation 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with a memorial Service with Reverend Gerald Murphy from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Burial will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation in memory of Pete Jacob to St. John’s Assyrian Evangelical Church, 450 S. Palm Street, Turlock, California 95380, in honor of its 100th anniversary.

The Lord the Shepherd

A song of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd.

I have everything I need.

2 He gives me rest in green pastures.

He leads me to calm water.

3 He gives me new strength.

For the good of his name,

He leads me on paths that are right.

4 Even if I walk

through a very dark valley,

I will not be afraid

because you are with me.

Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

5 You prepare a meal for me

in front of my enemies.

You pour oil of blessing on my head.

You give me more than I can hold.

6 Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life.

And I will live in the house of the Lord forever.