Cedar Falls - John L. Jacobs, 77 of Cedar Falls, died Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at UnityPoint Allen Hospital. He was born September 26, 1946, in Des Moines, the son of John L. and Ruth (Votruba) Jacobs. John graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. He then relocated to Cedar Falls, where he attended the University of Northern Iowa, graduating with a BA and a Master's degree.
John worked at Mental Health Institution in Independence, Iowa as a Counselor. During this time, he decided to pursue owning his own business one day. His dream came to fruition in downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa known as the: Masters Library, Gateway Bookstore, The Space 109. John later returned to the workforce at Kay Park Recreational, retiring in 2019.
John was on a mission to transform the previous business of the bookstore into a space (The Space 109) for local aspiring artists and musical talents within the Cedar Valley Community. A space to share their talents and become visible to the community.
John's commitment to his community inspired this dream to bring people together as he did with his bookstore throughout the years. Another passion was Sturgis Falls and the Dixie Land Jazz Festival which were highlights for him every summer.
He was committed to the downtown district and small business owners. He loved dining at the local restaurants and spent many hours with a wonderful cup of java at Cup of Joe's. John was a staple of the downtown community.
John loved Life to the fullest, he will be greatly missed by all who knew him!
He is survived by many friends and including Deb Van Syoc of Waterloo, JoDee Flockhart of New Hampton, Chandra Bell of Waterloo, Kendalle Alquwaie of Aplington, Crystal Waltz of Cedar Falls, Emily Berregaard of Ann Arbor MI, and Space Cadets (The Tribe from The Space 109) Cedar Falls.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
A Memorial Visitation will take place Friday, February 2 from 4:00 - 6:00 with a Memorial Service starting at 4:30 at Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave, Waterloo. There will be a Celebration of John's life starting at 12:30 on March 15, at the Hearst Center for the Arts, 304 West Seerely Blvd, Cedar Falls, with a service and time for sharing starting at 1:30.
Memorials may be directed to The Space 109, 109 E 2nd St, Cedar Falls, The Sturgis Falls Foundation or the Cedar Bend Humane Society.