Betty Racich Jacobs 1933-2025

Born Elizabeth Rose Racich on July 11, 1933, in Youngstown, to the late Thomas J. and Mary A. Yurkovich Racich, she was known as “Betty” early in her life but preferred to be called “Liz” starting sometime in middle age.

She was a graduate of East High School in Youngstown, where she was a cheerleader and voted “Most Athletic Girl” in her class.

She married her high school sweetheart, William “Bill” E. Jacobs Jr., with whom she raised three children. They were married for 37 years prior to his death in 1991.

Liz went back to school after having three children and earned an associate degree in nursing from Youngstown State University.

After graduating, she began her career as a registered nurse at North Side Hospital in Youngstown and later retired there as a patient admissions coordinator.

Liz was a former member of the Youngstown Country Club and a former member of St. Charles Church in Boardman and St. Michael Church in Canfield.

As a former member of the Ohio Cultural Alliance, she engaged her interest in learning about the heritage and culture of her family, friends and the people of the Mahoning Valley.

Liz enjoyed ballroom dancing and competed in several amateur competitions, receiving multiple first-place trophies and was a talented craft maker, home decorator and garden club member.

She was a wonderful cook and baker, and she loved to entertain family and friends at home.

Liz enjoyed traveling, nature and being outdoors, golfing, following the financial markets, exercise, including resistance and cardiovascular training and yoga, the performing arts, museums, playing cards, word and number puzzles, and movies.

Liz was a lover of music and the arts and learned to play piano and read music later in life.

She was very engaged throughout her life in nurturing and developing her spirituality and faith and enjoyed studying the subject and was a health and wellness enthusiast, becoming knowledgeable about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise well before the topic became mainstream.

A loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, she was known as friendly, outgoing, positive, exceedingly kind, compassionate and generous, energetic, hardworking, strong, talented and successful, and she will be very deeply missed.

Liz is survived by daughter, Dawn (Shaun) King; sons, Bill (Becky) Jacobs and Jim Jacobs; grandsons, Collin and Josh Jacobs, and Shane and Liam King; granddaughter, Shealee King; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by husbands, William “Bill” E. Jacobs Jr. and Glenn H. Rudolph; loving companion, Donald (Don) E. Peters; parents, Thomas J. and Mary A. Racich; sisters, Mary Ellen Baber and Christina M. Heydle; and brother, Thomas “Tom” P. Racich.

Family and friends may call 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at the Fox Funeral Home, 4700 Market St., Boardman, OH 44512.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at St. Michael Parish, 300 N. Broad St., Canfield, OH 44406, celebrated by the Rev. John-Michael Lavelle.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made in Liz’s memory to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington St., Suite 230, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481, www.curealz.org, 781-237-3800; or the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, FDR Station, P.O. Box 220, New York, NY 10150-0220, www.alzinfo.org, 800-259-4636.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Edward J. Fox & Sons Funeral Home, 4700 Market St., Boardman. Family and friends may visit www.foxfuneralhome.org to view this obituary and to give condolences to the family.

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