As received from the Mountain View Funeral Home. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Jenness Ann Jacobson, 76, of Tacoma, passed away on Sunday, October 4th, 2026 at Garden House memory care unit in Merrill Gardens at Wrights Park. She was born on October 23, 1949 in Hancock, MI, the daughter of John R. Sr. and Mary (Smith) Jacobson.
Jenness graduated from Hancock High School in 1967 and attended Michigan State University. In the summer following her sophmore year, she married Darrell Joque of Escanaba MI. While continuing her education, she delivered her first of three children in spring of the next year. Showing the determination that marked her whole life, she graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
Jenness was devoted to her family and spent many years raising her children and managing the household. She was also the financial expertise in the family and managed to pay off the mortgage on their first house many years before it was due. When the kids were in middle school at St. Charles Borromeo, she took advantage of her degree and became a science technician for the University Place School District. She loved her job of preparing and maintaining the science kits teachers used in theri classrooms, advising teachers on science matters, and – her favorite – performing various science demonstrations in the classrooms. The highlight of her ten years with the district was when one of her second graders took her hand and said, “Mrs. J, when I grow up, I want to be just like you.” Not only did she love her career as the “Science Lady”, she was able to ensure that her children started their adult lives without school debt.
Jen loved gardening and spent time volunteering at the Bellarmine green houses and used her expertise to become a Master Gardener. That stood her in good stead when she and her husband moved into a house with five acres of woods and meadows in unincorporated Pierce County. She delighted in caring for the land and spent many hours establishing trails through the forest. The acreage made it easier for her to pursue her love of animals. In addition to her own dogs, cats, rabbit, and miniature horse, she volunteered and fostered cats for the Tacoma Humane Society, and fostered dogs for Old Dog Haven.
Music was a very important part of Jenness’ life, starting with accordion lessons and chorale group in grade school. She played guitar and sang in student parish choirs at Michigan State and Michigan Tech. She sang for many years in the St. Charles choir and later in the Our Lady Queen of Heaven choir. When her dementia made it difficult to find the songs in the hymnal, a friend would help her find her place. When she finally had to retire from signing, she continued to enjoy listening to live and recorded music, and would often be seen mouthing the lyrics or singing along, especially with show tunes.
She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Darrell Joque; her son, Simon (Dr. Laura) Joque of Brainerd MN, and daughters Dana (Dr. Josh) Johnston of Lakewood, and Cecily Joque of Tacoma; sisters Carolyn House of Rochester MN, and Kay (Will) Schumacher of South Lyon MI, a brother James (Renee) Jacobson of Apple Valley MN, and grandchildren Noah Joque, Tyson Johnston, Elizabeth Joque, and Tatum Johnston.
She was preceded in death by her parents John and Mary Jacobson; in-laws Walter and Genevieve Joque; Brother, John R. Jacobson Jr., and sister, Sandy Jacobson.
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