Eagan Mom Memorializes Late Son Through Annual Scholarship

EAGAN, MN— As Michael Jacobs battled brain cancer, a voice in his head continued to repeat one word: James.

At first, he thought it was about his best friend Eric James, but he soon realized that it was God speaking to him, his mother Judy Jacobs, said. Jacobs, an Eagan resident, said that Michael opened his bible to James 1.

“And so he opened up the Bible to James 1, and it was all about trials and tribulations and staying strong, and that ultimately he would get the ultimate gift,” Jacobs said.

Michael’s battle with cancer began at age 36 after he went to the emergency room for his headaches, Jacobs said. During an MRI, doctors found a plum-sized tumor on his brainstem. Despite flying in a specialist, surgeons were only able to remove 98 percent of the tumor. Removing the other 2 percent could kill Michael, Jacobs said.

The tumor, not able to be fully removed, would only continue to grow, the doctors told Michael and his family. They gave him 15 months to live.

“I was just in shock,” Jacobs said. “And Michael actually got up and went over and shook the doctor's hand and said to him, ‘thank you for doing what you could, I know you did the right thing.’ And I'm thinking ‘this guy just handed Mike a death sentence and Michael just shakes his hand and says thank you for doing what you could.’ That's just the kind of person he was.”

Michael didn’t let the cancer steal his love for others, or his faith.

The night before his initial surgery, Michael heard the man in the room next to him crying.

“He walked over to the guy in the room next to him and sat and prayed with him all night, when he was having a much worse surgery the next the next day,” Jacobs said.

Michael also participated in medical tests, knowing that they wouldn’t save him, but hoping they would help save others, Jacobs said.

Michael died at age 37 after losing his battle with cancer in April of 2016.

Since then, Jacobs told Patch she has been awarding scholarships to seniors at Mahtomedi High School, Michael's alma mater.

The Michael Jacobs Memorial Scholarship aims to help others, just like Michael went out of his way to do.

The foundation that manages the scholarship for Jacobs was approached by Mike Dolezol from the Class of 1997, a high school friend and teammate of Michael’s looking to give back to the community, Jacobs said.

Jacobs and Dolezol decided to work together on the scholarship, Jacobs said.

The scholarship fund is looking to raise $25,000 for an endowed scholarship, Jacobs said.

The interest from the funds in the bank would generate enough interest to award one scholarship per year for $1,000, Jacobs said.

The pandemic put fundraising efforts behind schedule, Dolezol told Patch. As of right now, he said the foundation has raised around $2,000 toward the $25,000 goal.

Each spring, Jeff Jacobs, Michael’s brother, speaks at the scholarship ceremony about Michael, Jacobs said.

Those who knew Michael agree that he had a “heart of gold.”

Jacobs said that Michael would regularly help people move, or help do maintenance on her car, without being asked and would also participate in events for Feed My Starving Children and Adopt a Highway.

Eric James first met Michael at Mankato State University, he told Patch. The two went from soccer teammates, to roommates before reconnecting after college as co-workers.

James told Patch that he and Michael worked together at Centax Homes, and then both got jobs at U.S. Bank after they were laid off.

James echoed the common sentiment about Michael’s huge heart.

“Whenever people needed help, he was always there,” James said.

An annual highway cleanup effort through Adopt a Highway has been started in Michael’s honor.

“I just constantly think whenever I'm cleaning the highway is that I know for a fact Michael would be there cleaning the highway for me, if the roles were reversed,” James said. “And that's the biggest reason why I do it, is because I know Mike would do it.”

James told Patch that he didn’t truly understand how rare a friendship like his and Michael’s was until after Michael had died.

“I can truly say that Mike Jacobs was my best friend,” James said. “You go through different levels of friendship in your life, and you meet new people, but it's so hard to replace that best friend. And you just don't know if a friendship like that will ever happen again.”