Harold Lee Jacobson

Harold Lee Jacobson, 90, of Golden, CO, died September 6, 2022, at Golden Lodge Assisted Living in Golden, CO, where he called home for the past 2 years. Lee is predeceased by his loving wife, Martha Lucille ("Cille") Jacobson, and is survived by daughters Kala Buns (Odessa, FL) and Kari Sever (Golden, CO), 3 granddaughters, Katherine Kraft (Golden, CO), Emily Crenshaw (Grand Junction, CO), and Grace Bell (Phippsburg, ME), and 4 great-grandchildren.

Lee Jacobson was born May 27, 1932, in the city of Chicago, IL to Florence and Harry E. Jacobson. Raised during the depression and loving to paint, his mother often told the story of him as a boy, happily painting the city sidewalks with a brush and a paint can of full of water.

Lee met 'Cille, his wife and love of 64 years, while playing trombone in the Kansas State University college band. It was told that the spark of love began when 'Cille, who played timpani drums behind the trombone section, bonked him on the head with a drumstick in a flirtatious attempt to get his attention. They were married August 14, 1955 in Salem, IL. Lee graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS with a bachelor's degree in music and later obtained two master's degrees, one in music therapy and one in psychology. He was called to Active Duty in 1957 and served as a member of the 38th Ordinance Company, Field Maintenance Battalion, U.S. Army Reserve.

Lee loved music, especially jazz, and enjoyed helping others through music. He was director of Music Therapy for several mental health hospitals and eventually retired as the administrator of the Adolf Meyer Mental Health Center in Decatur, IL. His love for music was evident not only in his professional career but also in personal activities, playing trombone in the Decatur Municipal Band and boasting a bold tenor voice in the Methodist church choir for many years.

Lee was a recreation planner at-heart and was always organizing family vacation adventures, especially those involving fishing, golfing, whitewater rafting, sight-seeing, and camping. He loved to travel, especially in an RV, with destinations to visit and camp near family and friends as often as possible. Retiring at age 55, he and 'Cille set out to experience much of the world. Their bucket list of travel accomplishments included visiting all 400+ national park sites in the US, including those only accessible by plane in Guam, American Samoa, and the Arctic Circle; watching a live baseball game in each of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums; golfing at many coveted golf courses throughout the U.S. and scoring 3 hole-in-ones; and exploring foreign countries such as Australia, Sweden, Norway, and Mexico. When Lee turned 80, he travelled to Peru and climbed to the top of Machu Picchu.

One of Lee's favorite destinations was Alaska, visiting 6 different times to take bush planes into remote camps to see wildlife and experience the rugged landscape and culture. His travels always led him to the best hamburger, bar-b-que ribs, cinnamon roll, homemade pie, or milk shake ever made, and those delectable items would be sure to lead to his return trip.

Lee spent the last 14 years living in Colorado with his daughter and grandchildren nearby.