Col. Tadeus (Ted) Jakubowski, USAF (Ret.)

Ted joined the Lord the morning of Sunday, April 3rd after fighting his battle with cancer. He was 92 and a great example of living a full, vibrant, and healthy life until the last two years.

Ted enlisted in the Air Force in 1952, right after graduating from college. He completed Radio Mechanic School then was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS). After being commissioned, and completing Officer Communications School, his first assignment took him to Germany, where he was assigned to the 2nd AACS Mobile squadron in charge of installing Air Force navigational aids throughout his Military career.

After his tour in Europe, Ted was assigned to teach ROTC at Lehigh University where he also earned a second degree in Engineering.

Ted was then assigned to contractor’s plants as a Certifying Quality Engineer where he worked with NASA on the Space Program. He spent several years overseeing the contract work at companies such as IBM, Westinghouse, Bendix, and GE.

Next, Ted was off to graduate school at the University of Maryland and a five-year tour at the Pentagon working on Research and Development for the Air Force. His last tour was a major Program Manager at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton Ohio. His development program was the Acquisition Management Information System (AMIS) where his unit won the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award. He received many personal military awards, including the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Department of Defense Commendation Medal, and the Legion of Merit, for outstanding performance throughout his career. He also received a Special Citation from the American Institute of Industrial Engineers. Ted retired from the Air Force as a Full Colonel, after 27 years of active duty.

After retirement, Ted started a second career where he spent 15 years as a Professor of Industrial Engineering at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Here he was selected by the College of Engineering as the Teacher of the Year. His class student evaluations were the highest of any professor due to his ability to take complex subjects, like calculus, and have students “get them”. His students, like many of his friends, enjoyed the stories that breathed life into the topics he taught. He lived in Fayetteville, NC and was President of the Retired Officer’s Association.

Ted had two wonderful marriages; both to amazing women named Jean. His first marriage resulted in three children; Eileen Sitnik, Linda Paczan, and Wayne Jakubowski. He lost his first wife of 35 years, Jean Barbara (Bartoszek) Jakubowski, to cancer in 1987 while living in Fayetteville.

Ted met and married his second wife Jean M Jakubowski and fully retired to Hendersonville, NC, and later to Asheville. Here they traveled and established a wonderful life together with their Retirement Family at Deerfield Retirement Community. Ted and Jean had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.

In addition to Jean B and his parents, Ted is predeceased by his brother Mitchell, Sisters; Regina Szymona, Helen Dzvileski, and Genevieve Jakubowski. Ted leaves his wife, Jean M. Jakubowski of Asheville; his three children, Eileen Sitnik of Apex, NC, Linda Paczan of Austin, TX, and Wayne Jakubowski of Norfolk, VA. Ted leaves his six grandchildren; Lauren Sitnik, Julie Sitnik, Holly Paczan, Nathan Paczan, Taylor Cady, and Casey Bernhards, as well as six great grandchildren; Riggins, Leila, Owen, Eliza, Braden, and Elliott.

A Celebration of Life will be at a future date at Deerfield. Col. Ted Jakubowski will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his memory to Four Seasons Hospice, Shriners Hospital, Deerfield Charitable Foundation – for the Danny Boone Fund, The American Cancer Society, or Wreaths Across America as you feel led.