Shot and killed by her estranged husband in a case that shocked affluent Timonium last September, avid runner Jessica Meredith Jacobsen will be commemorated Sept. 13 with a 5K race.
The event, which is sponsored by the Father O’Neill Council #4011 of the Knights of Columbus, will wend its way through the heart of Towson, beginning and ending at the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic parish, 200 Ware Ave.
“We have an affiliation with several of the parishes in the area,” said Bill Myers, communications director for the Catholic fraternal group’s Lutherville council. “There was a close relationship there between the family and the Knights of Columbus. We plan to do this on an annual basis. Registration is still open for this race.”
Jacobsen’s two children, who are now being cared for by relatives, attended Immaculate Conception School. Jacobsen’s husband, Jeffrey, took his own life in the incident.
“Jessica was one of those rare people who in a world that seems to move at a million miles an hour had the ability to stop and give you her direct and genuine attention,” said council Grand Knight Andrew Gleeson in a news release,
Jacobsen, a volunteer at Immaculate Conception School and a group manager with T. Rowe Price Co., was 38 when she died.
“We’re referring to it as a 5K memorial run,” Myers said, “and any funds that are raised will be distributed to House of Ruth, toward tuition assistance at Immaculate Conception School, and for the charity fund at the council.”
Jacobsen “strongly supported Catholic education and the moral values being instilled in her children at Immaculate Conception School,” noted the council’s Web site.
The Jacobsens had lived in a $700,000 home on Timonium’s Jennifer Ridge until Jeffrey was ordered by the courts to vacate the house and avoid all contact with his wife, according to police reports. On Sept. 14, 2007, however, he returned and apparently shot his wife on the front lawn.
The run/walk race, whose entry fees range from $15 and $20 for individual children and adults to $80 for families, will conclude with a party at the parish, featuring music and awards, Myers said.
RACE REGISTRATION
For information, go to [email protected], where runners can download a registration form.
