Beverly Jean (Jorgenson) Jacobs, PhD

Beverly Jean (Jorgenson) Jacobs, aged 84, died peacefully on Friday, August 29, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Beverly was born in Dell Rapids, South Dakota on February 28, 1941, to Gordon and Evelyn (Willard) Jorgenson. Beverly was the second oldest of six sisters.

After graduating from Colton High School in 1959, she attended General Beadle State Teachers College in Madison, SD. She married Richard G. Jacobs of Buffalo Trading Post on March 25, 1960. They had five children. After her divorce in 1974, she went on to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD.

In 1979 she pursued her girlhood dream of never experiencing another South Dakota winter and moved to Fort Myers, Florida. Beverly spent more than 10 years working as a clinical speech language pathologist along the gulf coast of Florida from St. Petersburg to Naples. During her career, she developed a passion for working with patients with traumatic brain injury, aphasia and other complex communication disorders.

When all her children graduated high school, she pursued an academic teaching and research career. Beverly obtained her Ph. D. in 1994 from the University of Florida, and served as faculty at Florida State University, East Tennessee State University and Western Carolina University.

Beverly gave much of her time after retirement to volunteer pursuits. In Silver Spring, MD, she taught and tutored English as a Second Language, served as a lunch lady with the Schweinhaut Senior Center, volunteered with the Montgomery County Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, and worked with the Homeless Hospitality program at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. In Little Rock, AR, she assisted in the housing office at Parris Towers, spent many hours volunteering for the Central Arkansas Library System by teaching and tutoring English as a Second Language, greeting visitors to the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies gallery, and helping with CALS annual book sale. Beverly also served meals with the Stewpot Ministry. She was a devoted member of her church, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Evelyn and Gordon, and her sisters Marilyn, Phyllis, Betty, and Julie. She is survived by her sister Vicki Jorgenson (Brenda Eagan) of Sioux Falls, SD, children Boniface Jerry Jacobs of Dallas, TX, Joni Jacobs of Clear Lake, IA, Jill Kwikkel of Waterloo, IA, Joel and Jenny (Linn) Jacobs of Enoree, SC, and Jana and Leigh (Wilson) Jacobs of Little Rock, AR, as well as 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Beverly was very proud of her children and delighted in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A memorial will be held September 30, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock, AR. Arrangements by Arkansas Cremation. A memorial will also be held at First Lutheran Church in Colton, SD on November 2, 2025, at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Our House at ourhouseshelter.org.

Arrangements by Arkansas Cremation, 10515 W Markham St, Suite B1, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205. If you would like to leave a message of condolence to the family, you may do so using the Guestbook section. 

www.arkansascremation.com