Edward J Jackoboice

Edward James Jackoboice, 77, of Naples, Florida passed away peacefully in his home December 14, 2012. Ed, also known as Jim, is the son of the late Mildred (Lanfear) and Edward William Jackoboice. He is predeceased by his brother, Richard Jon Jackoboice of Akron, OH.

Ed was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended East Grand Rapids High School, and participated in football and track. He was a 1957 graduate of Michigan State University, and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He married Sandra Kay LeSeur, of Detroit/Ann Arbor, MI in 1958.

Ed’s ancestry in Grand Rapids dated back to the 1850’s. He became owner, director, and officer of Monarch Hydraulics, founded by his great-grandfather in 1856, and led the company for 32 years in new markets, product lines, and one of the greatest eras in the company’s 134-year history. The people, products, and proud history of Monarch were his passion. He held various patents, and was responsible for introducing numerous innovative products to the industry, and was active in the Grand Rapids business community. He retired in 1990.

Ed and Sandy were long-time residents of the Ada/Forest Hills area of Grand Rapids, MI. They wintered in Naples, FL, moving there permanently in 2010. Ed was a great outdoorsman -- hunting, fishing, boating, earning his pilot’s license, and a world traveler to more than 100 countries. He was an active member of Ducks Unlimited, the Kent County Conservation League, Thornapple River Association, St. Robert’s Parish, Polish Heritage Society and Army Reserve. Ed also served as a Regent at Ave Maria University, where he and Sandy continued sponsorships of foreign students, who after gaining educations here, returned to their homes abroad and spread the American dream.

Ed is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Sandra (LeSeur) Jackoboice of Naples, FL; son Edward Michael Jackoboice of Las Cruces, NM; son Timothy Jon (Heather) Jackoboice of Naples, FL; and granddaughters Remington, London and Montana Jackoboice.

Viewing will be on Tuesday, December 18, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Gardens, 525-111th Ave N. (off Immokalee Rd west of US-41.) Funeral services will be on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at St. John the Evangelist Church at 10:00am.

Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Colburn, Harold Cornelius, Darry Dunakin, Joyce Glanville, Bob Israels, Mike Jackoboice, Tim Jackoboice, Joseph Jacobs of St. John’s, Antigua, Ron Krischan, Joe Martin Sr., Dr. Chris Norman, Steve Rasch, Dan Schaab, Larry Schaab, Bob Schermer, Sr., Dick Solon, Tom Vryhof, Dan Wallace, and Andrzej Zielinski of Warsaw, Poland.