Community remembers long-time GP couple killed in hit & run

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. —The community of Grants Pass came together to honor two residents who lost their lives in December after they were hit and killed by a car.

Over the decades Gwen and DeVerne Jacobsen touched the lives of so many in the Grants Pass community. All the speakers talked about how the couple brought smiles to countless faces.

Police say 91-year-old DeVerne Jacobsen and his 85-year-old wife Gwen were trying to cross Highway 99 to go to a Christmas party at Rivers Edge Restaurant when they were hit by a truck last month. The two died from the collision.

DeVerne was a pharmacist at McLain’s and Gwen was a teacher at Grants Pass High School. Over a hundred people gathered Friday at the Josephine County Fairgrounds to share stories about the two. One of them was Steve Roe, the general manager of Roe Motors who also sits on the Asante Foundation Board.

“I decided to bring Hope my therapy dog to today’s service because as we heard earlier today about the word hope, it helps me describe the Jacobsen’s lifetime of giving back to others. Two areas of focus in their lifetime are critical parts of our everyday life, that’s healthcare and education,” said Roe.

25-year-old Skylar Fucci of Grants Pass is facing two counts of felony hit and run in the crash, but police say more charges may be added later.

The family is asking people to remember the couple by doing something kind for another person.

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Jenna King is the 6pm and 11pm anchor for NBC5 News. Jenna is a Burbank, CA native. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Sports Business. During her time at Oregon she was part of the student-run television station, Duck TV. She also grew her passion for sports through her internship with the PAC 12 Network. When Jenna is not in the newsroom you can find her rooting for her hometown Dodgers, exploring the outdoors or binging on the latest Netflix release.
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