Rune E. Jacobson

Rune Emil Jacobson of Avondale, Pennsylvania, passed away on March 16, 2023, at home.  He is survived by his beloved wife Carolyn, with whom he shared 62 years of marriage.

 Born on November 2, 1934, in Vaasa, Finland, Rune was the son of Emil Jacobson and Anna Olivia (Nordberg) Jacobson. Rune emigrated from Finland to the United States with his parents when he was only 5 years old. The family arrived at Ellis Island and first settled in New York City. They then moved to Vineland, NJ, and relocated for a short time to Florida before returning to New Jersey. In 1959, Rune started his own family and built his first home in Upper Saddle River with the help of his father-in-law.

In 1964, Rune joined as an officer with the Upper Saddle River Police Department, reaching the rank of Sergeant, and retired after 25 years of service.   He was also the Zoning Official for the town of Wyckoff, NJ, for ten years.  He served in the US Army, was a Freemason, and long-time member of Zion Lutheran Church in Saddle River.  
 
Rune loved talking to people and had the ability to strike up a conversation with anyone. He enjoyed gardening and woodcarving, was an avid reader on history and politics, and cared for the many dogs he had during his life.
 

He is survived by his daughters, Karin Topp (Duane) of Upper Saddle River, NJ; Linda Jacobson (Mark) of Oxford, PA; and Christina McKenzie (Glenn) of Landenberg, PA. Rune is also survived by his five grandchildren, Kristin, Kathryn, Erik, Kassandra, and Jack, and six great-grandchildren, Alexander, Zachary, Eleanor, Vincent, Ryan, and Annie.
 
A memorial service will take place on March 25, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 96 E. Allendale Road, Saddle River, NJ 07458. Interment will be held at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saddle River, NJ (www.zionsr.org) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).

Arrangements are by Matthew Grieco of Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. (484-734-8100) of Kennett Square.  To view Rune's online tribute, please visit www.griecofunerals.com