Randolph Jacobs

MISSOULA – Randolph Jacobs, a prominent banker, lawyer and civic leader, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, of natural causes at his residence at The Village Senior Residence. He was 99.

Randy was born in Missoula on Nov. 22, 1913, the son of Arley R. and Edith (Graves) Jacobs. He attended grade school at Roosevelt School and later, Missoula County High School. Randy went on to attend the University of Montana, graduating in 1935 with a degree in economics. He then attended Stanford University's School of Law where he graduated with a JD in 1938.

After returning to Missoula, he joined the Missoula County Attorney's Office in January of 1939, working as a deputy county attorney until 1942 when he entered private law practice with the Missoula law firm of Pope and Smith. Though he later moved on to banking, he always maintained his ties to the field of law. He was believed to be the oldest living member of the Montana Bar Association.

In January of 1943 Randy enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant junior grade. He served as a combat information officer on various aircraft carriers in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He was discharged at the war's end in 1945.

In 1940, Randy married Barbara Harris of Missoula. The marriage produced two children, Julie, of Missoula (deceased) and Randy, Jr., now of Billings.

After the war, Randy returned to Missoula to join his older brother Ted in managing the family bank, the First National Bank of Missoula, and worked there for more than 30 years until retiring in the late 1980s. During that period he married his second wife, Betty Gordon, whose two sons, George and Bob, became a lasting part of the family after her death. During retirement, Randy maintained an office at the bank, which is now First Interstate Bank, until 2008. He enjoyed chatting amiably with old friends and colleagues who frequently stopped by to see him. During the past 13 years, Randy's life was, along with his family, blessed with the presence of his special friend Yvette Wirth of Missoula.

Randy was deeply involved in many civic efforts in Missoula, including being a founding member of the Five Valleys Land Trust and a board member of Missoula County United Way, the Missoula Symphony, Missoula Community Concert, and both St. Patrick and Community hospitals. Randy was also a founding member of the University of Montana's Century Club, serving as its fourth president in 1955-56. He was one of the organizers and crew that built the first set of Little League and Babe Ruth baseball fields at the fairgrounds and, through the Kiwanis Club, helped form the first youth basketball program in Missoula.

Randy was an avid bird hunter and fisherman throughout his life and enjoyed playing tennis and golf. He was a longtime member of the Missoula Country Club and seldom missed attending Montana Grizzly football games. After his marriage to Betty Gordon he became an avid skier, spending countless winter and spring days on the slopes of the Big Mountain at Whitefish and at Aspen and Snowmass mountains in Colorado.

He was preceded in death by his loving daughter, Julie Jacobs Hood of Missoula, and is survived by his sons Randy Jacobs, Jr. (Stacey) of Billings, George Gordon of Aspen, Colo., and Bob Gordon of Sun Valley, Idaho. Randy has eight grandchildren, Kevin and Brian Hood, Eric and Brent Jacobs, and Whitney, Tracey, Arley and Alex Gordon.

Cremation has taken place. Plans for a gathering of family and friends are pending.

Read Randolph Jacobs's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.