Albert S. Jacobson, "Al"grew up in Clermont, NY. With his Mom and Dad, he loved camping and fishing in the Hudson Valley, in the Catskills and the Adirondacks, and on trips to Boston, Cape Cod and Washington DC.

In Clermont, Al's six years of elementary education were all in the same one-room schoolhouse his mother had attended, a place where kids learned how to teach as well as how to learn. Al greatly enjoyed the close-knit community in which he was raised. Clermont is where he learned much about the natural world and about family life. It's where he learned how to work, how to dance, and how to tend a garden.

After graduating from High School, Al enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating in 1953 with a BS in Chemistry. He had hoped to major in mathematics, but was told that a Ph.D. would be required to work in that field, so he decided that chemistry would be the more responsible choice.

While working for several years as an industrial research chemist for Durez Plastics in LeRoy, NY, Al became a dedicated Boy Scout leader with two local scout troops. He found great satisfaction in teaming up with other motivated adults to lead young people in camping, hiking and canoeing adventures. This experience helped him decide that his calling was to be a teacher rather than a lab worker, so he took a job teaching math in a small rural school, and he began taking night classes in education.

During this transition, Al applied for and received an opportunity to spend the summer of 1956 in Greece through the Experiment in International Living. As a Community Ambassador, he traveled and gave 50 lectures about his travels there during the next year. The experience of living abroad had a lasting impact, and proved to be a prelude to further overseas travel adventures.

After returning to teaching, Al won a grant from the National Science Foundation which enabled him to finish his M.S. in the Teaching of Secondary Mathematics at the University of Illinois, which was then the center of the "New Math" movement. Al was recognized as having a good grasp of the ideals of modern math education as well as a clear understanding of the practical needs of classroom teachers. He was hired by D. C. Heath publishing company in Boston to edit their new "Illinois Program" series of textbooks, which began a 40-year career helping to guide the math education of millions of students across the country.

Al married Caroline Freeman of Middlebury, VT in 1961. Together they raised their two children in Needham, MA. They all greatly enjoyed camping, spending weeks on Cape Cod & in the woods of NH & VT, and traveling around the USA. In later years, he and Caroline traveled widely in Western Europe, and as far east as Greece and Turkey, and enjoyed a marvelous time in Istanbul.

Around the family home, and in community garden plots, Al grew flowers and vegetables in abundance. He tackled many woodworking and home improvement projects. He was an avid reader and, in later years, a passionate advocate for peace. With Caroline, he joined in weekly vigils organized by their friend Sue Fleming. He also greatly enjoyed teaching English as a second language (ESL). Along with his family, Al was a member of Carter Memorial United Methodist Church.

In 2009 he and Caroline moved to the Kendal community at Hanover NH, an opportunity for which he and Caroline have been deeply grateful. At Kendal, Al initiated an ESL program for recent immigrants working on staff. He also shared a delightful connection with students at the Richmond School through a correspondence program.

He also became adept at picture-framing. His work has been valued by artists, residents and visitors alike, and can be seen on nearly every wall at Kendal. Content to have left his years of yard-work behind him, Al still raised beautiful plants and flowers on their screen porch, enjoyed the community garden areas, and helped look after the Golf and Putting Green. As in all of the work he did throughout his life, he was careful, efficient, handy, and eager to help. And he was always ready to set aside work at day's end to truly relax and enjoy life with his family, and to devote time to his favorite pursuits.

Al leaves behind his wife Caroline, son Barry Jacobson & wife Amy Welch of Franconia NH, daughter Amy Jacobson & husband Allen Grove of Alfred NY, grandchildren Nathan & Abby Grove, and numerous other relatives as well as friends who miss his sweet good nature, warm heart, eager curiosity, bright smile and easy laughter.

A Memorial Service celebrating Al's life will be held on Saturday, July 23rd at 2:00 pm in the outdoor tent at Kendal, 80 Lyme Road, Hanover NH. A private burial will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Al's name to the American Friends Service Committee (www.afsc.org) would be most appreciated.