Zachary Jonathan "Zack" Jacobson

Zachary Jonathan Jacobson died on June 20, 2025 at age 45, following a brave battle with a rare soft tissue cancer (rhabdomyosarcoma of the jaw).

After graduating from Yale with a B.A. with distinction in English, Zack worked for Senator Tom Daschle and as a research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) before going on to receive a Ph.D. from Northwestern in U.S. History, focusing on the Cold War. His writing appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, New York Daily News, and Chronicle of Higher Education, among others. In 2023, Zack’s book, On Nixon’s Madness: An Emotional History, was published by Johns Hopkins University Press and was called “brilliant, insightful, and beautifully written” by the Times Literary Supplement, which also lauded Zack’s “audacious originality.”

Such praise—an audacious original—echoes the experience of all who knew him. He was co-founder of the Yale Drama Coalition and a director of many plays. Growing up outside of Detroit, Zack was a passionate basketball fan (especially of his Pistons) and a voracious reader. He loved music (having played trumpet) and adored his dogs Blix (named for the weapons inspector) and Mattis (for the general). He was an incredible uncle, teaching new games, sports rules, and how to enthusiastically enjoy life. Zack had a fiercely brilliant mind, a wicked sense of humor, a gorgeous, generous heart, and charisma for anyone lucky enough to share his space. He will be forever missed.

Zack is survived by his loving parents Sandra and Joseph Jacobson; his sister Karen (Ofer Shapira) and brothers Nick (Maribeth) and Alex (Laura Eidem) and their families, including his 7 nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Jessica who died of Tay Sachs disease.

Zack's funeral will be held at the Levine Chapel, 470 Harvard St., Brookline, MA, on Wednesday, June 25, at 10:30 AM.

We will be sitting shiva at Karen and Ofer's home, 17 Trinity Terrace, Newton, MA, on Thursday, June 26, between 4:00 and 8:00 PM and Friday, June 27, between 3:00 and 6:00 PM. We will also be available for visiting at Karen and Ofer's home on Saturday, June 28, between 1:00 and 5:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Sarcoma Foundation of America, www.curesarcoma.org/