Jacob & Josh

Jacob and I lived on the same floor freshman year and were close throughout our time in college. What I remember most about Jacob is his relentless energy. To be around Jacob was to enter this world of exciting possibilities. You never knew what adventure was around the corner or what absurd tall tale he was going to lead you to believe. He had a way of somehow turning the most banal moments into lifelong memories.

One night, Jacob was driving some friends and me to the movie theater. Mid-conversation, Jacob mentioned how there was a famous diner in the area named Harriet’s Kitchen but that he didn’t know where it was. A few seconds later, we saw the sign of the diner and flipped out, shouting, “There it is! It’s right there!” Jacob laughed mischievously. That’s when we realized that Harriet’s Kitchen wasn’t famous. It was a random diner Jacob saw in the distance and pretended to know about just to mess with us.

Since leaving Wheaton, Jacob and I were mostly out of touch. Our lives just went different ways. When my wife, Lou, showed me what Jacob had created with his husband, Daniel, at Howdy Bagel, I was amazed. Everything I saw was an embodiment of what I loved about Jacob – his creativity, adventurousness, and warmth.

Jacob was a light in my life and countless others. He gave so much joy to others and had so much left to give. Jacob will forever be missed.