Mark Jacobs

Mark was born in Poland March 7, 1943, and was the only child of Jake and Rose. Jake was well read and knew what was happening in Germany at that time, so he made the wise decision to leave Poland, and escape the Holocaust. The family made it to Russia where Mark's parents got jobs in a ball bearing factory making parts for the Russian army and stayed there until the end of the war. They then emigrated to the United States and resided in Chattanooga, TN.

Mark's early school years were at H. Clay Evans Grammar School, Dickinson Jr. High, and he graduated from Chattanooga High School, and then University of Chattanooga (now UTC). While he was in downtown Atlanta one day, he happened to park his car under a billboard sign advertising Southern School of Pharmacy and thought “why not” and signed up that day. He became a pharmacist and worked in the Georgia/Chattanooga areas for many years.

Over time, he discovered and advocated natural healing through vitamins and herbs and could tell you in detail why, in his opinion, they worked better than traditional medicines. He was always a good-natured person who enjoyed helping people and had time to give free advice on health issues. He claimed to be able to ward off or cure any disease with vitamins and herbs. It all made perfect sense when he explained it, but there’s no proof of how many people applied this information.

Just like the song, “I Did It My Way," Mark lived his life without being intimidated by peer pressure and financial gain, and some even labeled him as an eccentric, but that didn’t bother him. He was true to himself and his beliefs.

Mark was a lifelong bachelor who loved sports, especially football and tennis, and he took detailed notes on his yellow legal pad that he carried everywhere. Computers and phones were not his strong points; he never trusted computers and preferred hard copies of all his research.

For the past 20 or so years, Manker Patten Tennis Center was his comfort zone, where everyone's common bond is tennis. He was a dedicated player until his knees could no longer withstand the stress. Mark’s (aka Spook) trademark was his unique serve that will always be remembered by all of his opponents. So funny, but he got the job done!

He lived a simple life and was always filled with optimism. In the last few years, he spoke of living in Costa Rica where he felt the climate was warm and the people were friendly.

Game, Set, Match !!

There will never be another Mark Jacobs. Godspeed and rest in peace, our friend.

The tennis center will have a memorial service to be announced in a few days.