Christian Wells Jacobsen

Christian “Chris” Wells Jacobsen, 74, died peacefully at home, with his wife by his side, on August 19, 2026. He was born on October 8, 1951, in Geneva, Illinois, to George Ruback Jacobsen and Margaret Ruth Wells.

Christian attended Geneva High School, graduating with the class of 1969. He went on to Beloit College, where he graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Academic Honors, majoring in Geography and Philosophy. He later attended graduate school at the University of Chicago and received a Master of Arts degree from the Division of Social Sciences in 1976 in the field of Geography.

Christian married Laurie Stack, the love of his life, in 1986. They had recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on the island of Bermuda.

The couple lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for sixteen years, where Christian worked for Lincoln Bank and later served as assistant vice president and associate director of the Financial Strategies Group for the Lincoln Financial Group division of Lincoln Re. He worked briefly for Swiss Re before relocating with Laurie to Kansas City, Missouri, to serve as Financial Solutions Vice President for Generali USA. Before retiring, Christian served as Vice President, New Markets, for Revios Reinsurance. Although Christian and Laurie did not have children of their own, they welcomed foreign exchange students into their home and remained close with them over the years: Monika Xheblati of Albania, Igor Nizhney of Israel, Tomasz Haladus of Poland, Carlotta Benassi of Italy, Lorenzo Pastori of Italy, Madina Malvinka of Kyrgyzstan, Lilla Foldi of Hungary, Mark Makrai of Hungary, Sara Bashir of Egypt, Hiba Antoun of Lebanon, and Jovana Saveva of North Macedonia. Chris reveled in getting them to school on time, driving them to sports practices, sharing his vast knowledge of history and geography, and telling Dad jokes. These “children” now remember him as their wonderful second Dad, who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams.

Christian learned to ski later in life, and together with Laurie he traveled to many mountain areas in the United States as well as France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. He loved to travel, and his favorite place in the world was Bermuda, where he had many cherished memories and where he will be laid to rest. He loved reading history and biographies, and he was passionate about world events both past and present. He also dabbled in woodworking and beer brewing and was an enthusiastic Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan. He was excited to have attended World Series games and playoffs.

Christian is preceded in death by his father George and his mother Margaret.

He is survived by his wife, Laurie, and his half-brother, George “Jake” Jacobsen Jr.

A celebration of Christian’s life will be held on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Family Church, 919 NE 96th Street, Kansas City, MO 64155. Visitation will be held before the service from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The service will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.

In Chris’s memory, the Jacobsen family suggests, in lieu of flowers, that donations in support of Cancer Care at The University of Kansas Health System be made payable to: The University of Kansas Health System and mailed to:

Fund Development at 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160

Donations may also be made online at Ways to Give to The University of Kansas Health System

Please make the following notation in the check memo line: In memory of Christian W. Jacobsen – KU Cancer Care

The family would like to thank Dr. Elizabeth Wulff, Cathy Davis, RN, Jennifer Heins, PA-C, and the caregivers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center for their compassionate care, dedication, and support.

Chris will be remembered with love for his warmth, curiosity, humor, and the lasting kindness he shared with all who knew him.