Eugene Howard Jacobs

Born 1 October 1927 in Chicago, Illinois – Passed 20 June 2025 in Los Angeles, California at age 97

Gene served in WW2 as Sergeant in the 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion, busily training for the invasion of mainland Imperial Japan when the fruits of the Manhattan Project made his further participation unnecessary. He was honorably discharged in 1947.

Following his military service Gene moved with his parents and younger brother Earl to attend UCLA on the GI Bill. Gene received his MS in Mathematics and was working on his PhD when, in 1951, he received a job offer too good to pass up – Mathematician for the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. He remained at RAND until 1959 when he joined the RAND-derived System Development Corporation. He remained with SDC until 1971.

In August 1962 Gene married Angeline, the love of his life. They had two children, Joseph (b.1966) and Deborah (b.1968). Gene was a wonderful husband and father; a man of great humor and compassion.

In the mid-1970’s Gene joined Kirk Paper Company as Vice President, Management Information Systems. Gene retired in the mid 80’s and he and Angie traveled around the USA, Europe and Asia. He was also active in the Los Angeles Computer Society and was a member of Elks Lodge 906 in Santa Monica, CA

Gene was a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Los Angeles Computer Society, and served three terms as president of Digital Computer Association. He had a lifelong interest in computing, having worked on the RAND JOHNNIAC and with the IBM 701. Gene enjoyed an amazing technological era when computers went from being room-filling monoliths to pocket-sized smartphones.

As a lifelong Amateur Radio enthusiast Gene was a General class operator licensed as W6PYW and used his skills as a volunteer radio operator for LA County Disaster Communications and the Los Angeles Fire Department. He also used his radio skills as a member of the California Civil Air Patrol and his neighborhood CERT chapter.

Gene was laid to rest with military honors at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City near his father, Martin Jacobs, mother Elsie Jacobs, and aunt, Gertrude Benjamin. He is survived by his loving wife Angeline Jacobs, his son Joseph and daughter Deborah. He was predeceased by his younger brother, Dr. Earl D. Jacobs.

Gene is greatly missed by his family, friends and professional colleagues. In lieu of flowers or tributes consider a donation in his memory to the Computer History Museum [computerhistory.org], as it has the JOHNNIAC computer that Gene worked on during his time at RAND Corporation.