Cover photo for Alfred Berge Jacobsen's Obituary
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1927 Alfred 2022

Alfred Berge Jacobsen

December 10, 1927 — February 1, 2022

Alfred Berge Jacobsen, age 94, of Bel Air, Maryland, met his demise peacefully at his home on February 1, 2022. Born in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, he was the son of Thorvald and Wilhelmina (Heinlein) Jacobsen. For 57 years, Alfred was the loving and faithful husband to his "Sweet Susie" (Sylvia Sue Jacobsen nee Schirmer) until her death in 2008. Alfred proudly served his country during and after WWII in the U.S. Navy (Go Navy! Beat Army!). Before the war, he attended Southern High School in Baltimore. After the war, he attended the University of Baltimore on the GI Bill and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management in 1953. Alfred was employed for many years as an accountant at the Olin Chemical Plant in Curtis Bay, Maryland until he retired in 1985. He and his wife also operated the Pecora's Motel in Fallston, MD from 1978 to 1982.


 


Alfred was an extremely industrious and hard working individual from his young days in Brooklyn until his well deserved retirement in Bel Air in 1985. Here are some of the jobs he held starting when he was a teenager in the 1940's:


 


He sold "Liberty Magazine" subscriptions on a door-to-door basis. He knocked on the door of virtually every house in Brooklyn at that time to try and make a sale.


He sold Sunpaper and News American papers at newsstands including the "Extra! Extra!" special edition on December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Bombing Day).


Shoeshine boy-This was a short lived career. It only lasted one day. He got shoe polish all over the customer's socks and then he quit. He did make 5 cents. BTW, these descriptions are copied from Alfred's own notes discovered after his death.


Pin boy at Brooklyn Bowling Lanes on Hanover Street-This was before the automatic pin-setters of course. Alfred set an un-official record of pin-setting 30 games of league bowlers in only 1 hour and 25 minutes. 


Christmas Tree Salesman-The tree salesman from the movie "Christmas Story" may have been based on Alfred. 


Pool Ball Racker in pool hall on Patapsco Ave.-An unpaid job but he was given free pool shooting time when business was slow.


Pipe Fitter Helper at the Curtis Bay U.S. Coast Guard Yard-He was paid well: 58 cents an hour.


Night Watchman and General Helper at the St. Rose of Lima Carnival-Included guarding money, playing music, and taking part in boxing matches. He claims that he retired undefeated.


 


At this point, Alfred is 17 years old and joins the Navy. He proudly served until nearly his 21st birthday. Here are a few more jobs he held after his Navy service time:


 


Worked for the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks as a clerk in the Engineering Dept. When he took the Civil Service Test, he scored #1 in the entire city of Baltimore.


He sold Fuller Brush products for about two years in the Brooklyn Park neighborhood.


Other stints in the working world include Montgomery Ward, the U.S. Post Office, and landscaping jobs.


 


 However, by far, the most life-changing part time job that Alfred ever held was as a Bingo Card-checker at the 49er Bingo Hall on Church Street in Brooklyn. It was here, on a fateful night in early 1951, that he first set eyes on his future wife of 57 years, when the 19 year old Sue Schirmer (she never used her detested given name, Sylvia) was in attendance that night. She must had made quite an impression on Alfred because when she left the bingo hall that night, Alfred confidently told his co-worker friend, "That's the girl I'm going to marry," Later that same year, he kept that promise, marrying her on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1951.


 


And just to conclude this section on jobs that Alfred held, even while working full time as an accountant, he:


Worked as an Election Judge for 20 years.


For years, he worked weekends as a manager at the Brooklyn Bowling Lanes.


As mentioned earlier, along with his wife, he operated the Pecora's Motel in Fallston MD from 1978 to 1982. This obviously meant that he had to commute to and from his accounting job in Curtis Bay every work day.


 


During this tumultuous time in the 60's and 70's, while working and raising 7 kids, he also found time to volunteer as a youth baseball coach, manager, and umpire for 9 years with the Brooklyn-Curtis Bay Little League organization. He was the coach or manager of his son, Robert's teams all those years. He coached Robert on the ball fields and in the back yard of their Sixth Street home. The fruits of Alfred's labor came to fruition years later when Robert had the honor of being inducted into UMBC's Baseball Hall-of-Fame in 1996.


 


Baseball was a passion for Alfred all his life. As a teenager, he went by his nickname, "Peanuts" (because of his small stature), as he played 2nd base and shortstop for the St. Rose of Lima CYO team in Brooklyn. Later in 1944, he garnered a tryout for the 1944 International League Baltimore Orioles, the best minor league team in the country at that time. When the major league Baltimore Orioles began their franchise history in 1954, Alfred became an avid fan. He would listen to the games on the radio or watch them on TV, usually with one of the team's major sponsor's products in his hand, namely a cold Natty Boh beer.


 


One wonderful baseball and Jacobsen family memory occurred in 2013 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Alfred had generously sponsored Robert to attend the Orioles DreamWeek event in Sarasota, Florida that year. Part of the DreamWeek package deal is a reunion game played at Oriole Park in June. It was a wonderful day as Robert had by far, the most fans (his supporting family) of any player on the field that day. Alfred had the honor of throwing out the "first pitch", as he walked down from his seat to the front row and tossed a strike to his son Robert, standing on the field. The real honor though, was Robert's.


 


Alfred had many interests throughout his long life. Both he and his wife enjoyed thoroughbred horse racing. They would watch the Triple Crown Races on TV every year. In 1977, they decided to attend each Triple Crown race in person. What a thrill is was for them to go to Louisville, Kentucky (where "Sweet Susie" was born), then to Baltimore, and then to New York, to witness the great Seattle Slew win all three races and thus, win the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes). Soon after, they dabbled in race horse ownership by partially investing in some local horses. They made it to the Winner's Circle a few times, but soon enough, they got out of that business. It costs a lot to feed a horse!


 


Alfred was an outstanding duckpin bowler. He bowled for many years at the Brooklyn Bowling Lanes in the top house Men's League. He would also compete in various tournaments throughout Baltimore City.


 


He was an excellent photographer and videographer. He loved taking photos, especially candid shots with his "digital" camera. He recorded many "home movies" in the 1960's and these videos are now precious archival footage of his children's young years growing up in Brooklyn.


 


BTW, an interesting note about growing up in Brooklyn is that the family home that Alfred and "Sweet Sue" raised their 7 children, was built in 1923 by Alfred's father, Thorvald Jacobsen, a Danish immigrant who arrived in America before World War I.


 


Once he retired in 1985, he was able to enjoy more relaxing activities like solving large jigsaw puzzles and reading mystery novels.


 


Alfred loved shooting pool and would spend hours playing Eight Ball with his son and his sons-in-law. He always seemed to have the "home table" advantage as his pool table was not quite 100% level. Maybe this was a strategy he learned in the pool hall where he worked in the 1940's.


 


He was a pioneer in the mix-tape cassette hobby. Alfred owned one of the first portable cassette players in the 1960's and he enjoyed creating his own musical libraries. He would also record family events on tape. Sometimes without telling anyone.


 


He loved listening to music, especially 1950's and 60's popular standards. Perry Como and Elvis Presley were just two of many performers he liked.He didn't go to many live shows but he and "Sweet Susie" saw Elvis at one of his final concerts in 1977 at the Civic Center in Baltimore. He also loved Big Band music and it's boogie woogie style. A real favorite was Freddie Slack, an amazing piano player that Alfred saw perform in concert when he was in the Navy. He and his wife also loved Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops and had a bunch of their records.


 


In the later years of his life, Alfred enjoyed watching TV and did his best to avoid all commercials by deftly operating the remote control. A few of his favorite shows were "Shark Tank", "Judge Judy", and "Murder, She Wrote". He also watched many sporting events, especially baseball, softball, college football, college basketball, tennis, and lady's golf.


 


Alfred was preceded in death by his incredible wife, "Sweet Sue" Jacobsen, who died in 2008. They were married for 57 wonderful years. To honor her memory after she went to heaven, Alfred created not one, but two special holidays to celebrate her memory each year. The dates of these holidays are April 19 (4/19) and September 14 (9/14). You will notice that these dates contain the numbers 1,4, and 9. These were Alfred and his wife's lucky numbers. He also proclaimed that the name of the holidays would be "Because You Are Worth It" or for short, "BYAWI" Day. His dear "Sweet Sue" was such an amazing wife, mother, grandmother (and more!), that she was "worth" two special days a year.


 


Alfred was a proud American patriot who served his country in the Navy, and also served it by living the American tradition of working hard as he raised his baby boom family with high integrity. He was frugal and wise with his spending as he struggled at times to provide for a large family. He has also demonstrated great generosity in sharing any windfalls with his family that may have come his way.


 


He was the ultimate role model for his 7 children (and many others) because of the way he displayed his love and devotion to his wife, his strong work ethic, his honesty, and in the fun and friendly manner in which he interacted with every person he came in contact with.


 


Alfred will be forever remembered as a faithful husband, a loving father (and father-in-law), and a wonderful grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, brother, and friend.


 


Alfred is survived by his 7 children, daughters Barbara (Keef) Pine, Susan (Ronald) Jacobs, Julia McHale, Amy Jacobsen, Jennifer (Jeff) Bolton, Nancy (Michael) Hoch and son Robert (Teresa) Jacobsen.


 


He is also survived by his 14 grandchildren. They are: Mandy Jacobsen, Brian Jacobs, Timothy Jacobs, Kristen Appel nee Jacobsen, Katelyn Brickey nee Jacobsen, Bridget Doyle nee McHale, Kimberly Bolton, Sara Hoch, Alison Jacobs, Jessica White nee Hoch, Cara McHale, Brian Bolton, Hannah Jacobsen, and Johanna Hoch.


 


Alfred's 7 surviving great-grandchildren are: Dylan Jacobs, Joy Hoch, Autumn Smith, Noah Jawdat, Nately Berlinger, Kai Reid, and Mya White.


 


He is also survived by his Godson and nephew, Steven Varholy, and many other nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends, especially Jo Macek and Robin Arlauskas.


 


In addition to his wife and parents, Alfred was preceded in death by sisters Frances Varholy and Charlotte Jacobsen.


 


A special note of appreciation is acknowledged to daughter Julia McHale, who lived with Alfred for the past 3 to 4 years and provided incredible care and comfort to him during that time.


 


In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, 109 South Hickory Ave. Bel Air MD 21014.


 


A Celebration of Life is planned for April 19 (BYAWI Day!) 2022 from 2pm to 6pm at the Bel Air Moose Lodge, 310 East Jarrettsville Rd, Forest Hill MD 21050.

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