Donald (Don) M. Jacobs, the former director of dining services at Penn, passed away peacefully on June 20. He was 88.

Born in New York City, Mr. Jacobs graduated from Horace Mann High School, then went to Cornell University, where he graduated in 1955 with a BA in hotel management. After graduation, Mr. Jacobs served in the Army from 1955 to 1957. He then held numerous management positions in the food service industry. In 1975, he became the director of Dining Services at Penn, and eleven years later, he was promoted to executive director of Hospitality Services, overseeing nutrition, purchasing, and marketing for Penn organizations that served food. “Don was a very important figure in my life, early in my career at Penn Dining,” said Adam Sherr, Penn’s current senior advisor/lead functional analyst. “Don made us all feel, in Hospitality Services, as if we were part of a big family—his family. And while we forged these connections together, it was all fostered by the overall culture set by Don—a culture of family.” Mr. Jacobs retired from Penn in 1998.

Mr. Jacobs served as president of the industry trade group, the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS). Among other honors, he received the International Food Service Manufacturers Association’s 1983 Silver Plate award. He mentored many food service managers and was known for hosting memorable dinner parties. He was also a lifelong advocate for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Mr. Jacobs is survived by his wife, Frances (Walden) Jacobs; his children, Jerome (Julia), Richard, and Debby; cousin, Marjorie Schector; one granddaughter; and one great-granddaughter.

Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to JCHAI (Judith Creed Horizons for Achieving Independence), 274 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010.