Renowned philanthropist Joan Jacobs from San Diego, California passed away on the evening of May 6 at the age of 91. Jacobs passed away at the Jacobs Medical Center at the University of California San Diego, named in her honor. This year would have marked her and her husband, tech giant and philanthropist Irwin Jacobs, 70th wedding anniversary.
In December 2019, Jacobs was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, a heart condition, which eventually led to her frequently being seen in a wheelchair at public events. She passed away due to heart failure.
Joan Jacobs, along with her husband Irwin Jacobs, made significant charitable donations during their lifetime in various sectors including education, arts, culture, and society, which had a profound impact on San Diego. This included a $120 million donation to the San Diego Symphony, $100 million to the Salk Institute, and $250 million to the University of California San Diego campus, among other substantial contributions to food banks, community centers, libraries, and more. Many buildings and institutions in San Diego bear their names. In 2010, the Jacobs couple pledged to donate over half of their wealth to charitable causes, responding to initiatives by investors like Buffett.
Moving from Boston to San Diego in 1966, the Jacobs couple made the decision as Irwin Jacobs was invited to teach at the newly established Electrical Engineering Department at the University of California San Diego (UCSD).
In a 2011 interview with a media outlet, Irwin Jacobs shared that he initially studied hotel management at Cornell University for three semesters before switching to electrical engineering out of lack of interest. However, those three semesters were not in vain as that was when he met his future wife, Joan. Three years later, in 1954, they got married.
When considering relocating to San Diego, Irwin Jacobs recalled Joan reading out a description of a house in La Jolla, San Diego, which sounded very appealing. Joan convinced him that the house was in La Jolla, San Diego, leading to their decision to leave their teaching positions at MIT and move to San Diego to teach at UCSD.
As Qualcomm evolved into a wireless communications giant, Joan and Irwin Jacobs also embarked on more philanthropic endeavors, giving back to society and actively participating in various charity events.
Following the news of Joan Jacobs’ passing, numerous institutions and individuals in San Diego released statements expressing their fond memories of her. In a joint statement, La Jolla Playhouse general manager Debby Buchholz and San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer remarked, “Joan’s passion, leadership, resilience, and tremendous philanthropic efforts were vital to the vitality of both of our organizations, and she will be deeply missed by all of us.”
The Jacobs couple had four sons, one of whom served as the CEO of Qualcomm, while another held the position of Chief Marketing Officer. One of Jacobs’ granddaughters, Sara Jacobs, currently serves as a federal congresswoman in the San Diego district.