Kiersten Jacobsen, the 11 year-old daughter of Christian Jacobsen, wrote a poem for her father. The poem, titled "Daddy," reads:

"His hair is blond like a puppy’s fur on a summer day after a bath.

His hands are as comforting as a winter coat hugging you on a cold snowy afternoon.

His eyes are as green as the freshly cut grass on a hot spring day.

His heart holds determination that is as strong as two fully grown lions.

He lives in a soccer ball, waiting to reach his goal.

He eats the love from his warm heart for all of his family and friends to share."

Mr. Jacobsen, who lived for most of his life in Massapequa and was a nurse at North Shore University Hospital in Manhassett lost his year-long battle with Leukemia May 4, 2002.  He was 42 years old.

"His greatest accomplishment was his three children," said brother-in-law Steven Conlon. "They were the pride and joy of his life, and he was an amazing father."

Soccer was another love of Mr. Jacobsen’s; he had played the sport in college and more recently, he had been on a Plainedge men’s soccer team before being diagnosed with his illness last year. His love for the sport blended with his love for his daughters when he began coaching his two older daughters, Kiersten and Samantha, for the Plainedge Soccer Club seven years ago.

In 2001, Mr. Jacobsen was awarded Coach of the Year by the club, and received a plaque that read: "A person never stands so tall as when they stoop down to help a child."

Kiersten and Samantha agreed that their father enjoyed "watching the kids have fun and making sure they don’t get hurt." His daughters added that being coached by their father enabled them to share their love of the sport and learn from each other.

"He was nice, caring, loving, full of life, and helpful," said Mr. Jacobsen’s three daughters. Conlon recalled a conversation with Mr. Jacobsen’s 9 year-old daughter, Samantha, and her testament to her father’s influence on her life.

"She’s got this beautiful, long brown hair that falls to the bottom of her back," he said, "and she said to me, ‘You know, I think I’m going to cut and donate my hair to the cancer patients that lost theirs.’ It was unbelievable. Next thing I know, my sister tells me Samantha woke up one morning and said, ‘I want to donate my hair today.’ My sister said, ‘What?’ She answered, ‘I want to get my hair cut and donate it to the little kids that have cancer and need wigs.’ Her hair is shoulder length now." 

Although Mr. Jacobsen was a lifetime resident of Massapequa, he went through the Amityville school systems and graduated from Amityville High School in 1978. Mr. Jacobsen was also an accomplished Eagle Scout, according to his brother Daniel.  

He continued his education at Molloy College, where he met his wife Catherine. He later started his own business in auto detailing.  Aside from his shop in Centereach, he worked with many of the airports, said Catherine. As a man of varied interests, Mr. Jacobsen returned to school at Nassau Community College to become a nurse more than ten years ago.

"He liked helping people feel better," said Mr. Jacobsen’s daughters of their father’s work.

Mr. Jacobsen also loved landscaping, according to his brother-in-law.  He enjoyed keeping up with his own family’s yard, as well as going to the houses of friends, relatives, and neighbors, and designing layouts of landscaping for them too. Mr. Jacobsen liked to go fishing out east as well, added his wife.

"He was always very outgoing and funny," said Catherine. "Everybody described him as always being so full of life. He did everything; he wasn’t a sit-at-home type of person."

In addition to his wife, his two eldest daughters, his brother-in-law, Mr. Jacobsen is survived by his two year-old daughter Hannah. Mr. Jacobsen is also survived by his parents, Joan and Norman Jacobsen of Massapequa, and his mother- and father-in-law, Evelyn and John Conlon of Massapequa. He is survived by his brother Daniel Jacobsen and his wife Karen of Amityville and his sister Diane Karam and her husband Joseph of Massapequa.

He reposed at the Frederick J. Chapey and Sons Bethpage Funeral Home, and religious services were held at the Maria Regina Roman Catholic Church in Seaford.  His interment was at St. Charles cemetery in Farmingdale.

Anyone interested in aiding Mr. Jacobsen’s children by donating towards the costs of their college educations can send donations to The Christian Jacobsen Scholarship Fund, c/o The Bank of New York, 251 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795.