April 9, 1929 – November 29, 2017

Ruth McKean Jacob, 88, passed away peacefully on November 29, 2017, with family at her side. Family & friends will fondly remember her warmth and quiet charm, as well as her artistry and home cooking. Even though she grew increasingly frail over the past years, she continued to welcome all who visited her.

Growing up in Pittsfield, in western Massachusetts, Ruth developed a strong sense of family and enjoyed riding horses and raising animals. At Hood College, in Maryland, she continued riding while focusing on her artistic skills as an art major, leading to opportunities after college as an art teacher.

In 1952 she met and married Hugh Jacob, and they celebrated 63 years together until he passed away in 2016. Hugh’s career with General Electric moved them to many locations across the eastern US – Massachusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, North Carolina, Alabama, and Connecticut. In 1976 they settled in Bath, Maine, when Hugh took a position as Vice President at the Bath Iron Works shipbuilding company. Upon retirement in 1985 they began wintering in Bonita Springs, Florida, where Ruth’s parents had spent their retirement. After Hugh’s passing, Ruth moved to Bethel, Connecticut, to be nearer her children.

Throughout her life, Ruth enjoyed spending summers on the coast of Maine at the cottage built by her great grandfather, where a large extended family has gathered every summer. She also traveled to family reunions with her brother and attended Hood College reunions.

Church was a central focus of her life. Ruth and Hugh were long-time members of the First Congregational Church in Darien, Connecticut; the United Church of Chris (Congregational) in Bath, Maine; and the First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Ruth always maintained a garden with flowers and vegetables. Residents of Bath may remember the large raspberry patch where Ruth and Hugh sold berries to benefit local charities. She also enjoyed writing letters, reading books, downhill and cross-country skiing, and Shetland Sheepdogs – five generations spanning nearly 60 years. Daily walks with her dogs offered many opportunities to visit with friends and neighbors.

Many still have the works of art that she created over the years – water colors of scenes she visited, ceramic tiles with painted pictures of homes, framed wedding invitations bordered by painted flowers, and dried local flower arrangements. She was a substitute art teacher in Connecticut and exhibited her works in local artist co-ops such as the Yankee Artisan in Bath.

Ruth is survived by her brother (Philip McKean, and his wife Deborah, of Cushing, ME), three sons and their wives and children (Mac and Suzie Jacob of Harbor Springs, MI, and their sons Andrew and Martin; Randy and Tammy Jacob of Newtown, CT, and their sons Chris, Will, and Colin; and Jon and Nan Jacob of Los Altos, CA, and their daughters Lauren and Katherine), and a niece (Susannah Nicklin) and nephew (Tom McKean) and their families.

Friends are invited to join the family for a memorial service at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 4, at the Friendship United Methodist Church, 24 Main Street, Friendship, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in memory of Ruth to the National Audubon Society or a charity of your choice.