GILROY
– Bruce Jacobs, longtime city attorney and active Gilroyan, died
in his home Sunday afternoon following a lengthy illness. He was 77
years old.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Bruce Jacobs, longtime city attorney and active Gilroyan, died in his home Sunday afternoon following a lengthy illness. He was 77 years old.
Jacobs moved to Gilroy in 1953, opening a law practice that still bears his name. The man remembered for his sharp legal mind served as city attorney for 23 years, from 1968 until 1991, was instrumental in founding Gavilan College and helped draft the city charter, adopted in 1960.
“He could analyze and simplify problems better than anyone else I have ever known,” said Ken McDonald, Jacob’s law partner for 30 years. “His mind was like a laser cutting through all the non-essential information, data, that might be presented. And he would reduce that right down to the essence.”
Jacobs had said he spent about a third of his working time on city matters, always making himself available to city officials and council members when legal counsel was needed.
“It was very pleasant working with him because he could steer us in the right direction, rather than telling us what to do,” City Administrator Jay Baksa said. “He was more supportive, he was more of a ‘guider,’ a facilitator. And also just a very nice guy.”
Given his broad base of legal knowledge, Baksa called Jacobs’ passing the “end of an era.”
“He was sort of old school, before the days of everything being a specialty,” Baksa said. “In today’s world, that doesn’t happen, and I don’t know if we’re better off or not, but it was always a pleasure working with Bruce because he was familiar with all the aspects of municipal law.”
“It was mostly a case of keeping us out of trouble,” said Jack Pate, who served on City Council in the 1970s. “He got along well with the council and did a good job.”
Jacobs was born in Oakland and grew up in San Jose, receiving his bachelor’s degree from University of California at Berkeley.
Following a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy during and after World War II, he received
his law degree from the Uni-versity of San Fran-cisco.
Ja-cobs boasted a long list of roles in the Gilroy community, inc-
luding president of the Chamber of Commerce, member of the Planning Commission and trustee of the Gilroy Elementary School District. Jacobs was a Rotary member since 1954, serving two terms as president, and a member of Gilroy Elks Club since 1958. He was part of the citizens committee that drafted the Gilroy City Charter, adopted in 1960.
In 1959, he joined a committee to form community college districts in Santa Clara County and served as chairman of the committee that formed the Gavilan College district. He was the first president of the Gavilan College Board of Trustees and helped pass the 1964 bond to construct the college campus.
Upon announcing his retirement from the city in early 1991, Jacobs began scaling back his private practice and fully retired in 1996.
“He exemplified integrity, as honest as I would ever hope to associate with,” said former law partner McDonald, who still practices at Jacobs & McDonald, 7810 Monterey Road.
Jacobs, who had a pilot’s license, had a passion for travel took him and his family to the far corners of the Earth.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jane; his brother, Ross Jacobs, of St. Helena; children Tracy Jacobs, of San Jose, Brian Jacobs, of St. Helena and Nancy Fleming, of Portland, Ore.; and two granddaughters, Alexandria and Sydney, of St. Helena.
The family asks that donations be made to a charity of choice.
A memorial service, open to the public, will be held on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Gilroy Presbyterian Church, 6000 Miller Ave.
