Meet Sparky (Rich Jacobson)

Okay, so I don’t know exactly why my esteemed colleague came up with “Sparky.” Maybe he’ll explain that one at some point!

My name is Rich Jacobson, and I’m a licensed professional real estate agent here on the Kitsap Peninsula in scenic Washington State.

I thought it would be good to start things off by sharing a brief snapshot or ”bite” about me, my family, and what makes living on the Kitsap Peninsula so amazing.

I was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area most of my life. But my Mom was born out on the coast of Washington State, near the edge of the Olympic Rain Forest. Her parents, Bill and Ruth Thompson, lived in various towns throughout Western Washington and eventually settled in Everett. I can remember with great fondness spending many a chidhood summer up on the Puget Sound. We even visited Seattle during the 1962 World’s Fair when the Space Needle opened!

Later, while serving as a radioman in the US Navy, I was stationed onboard the nuclear ballistic missile submarine, USS George Washington (SSBN598). We pulled into Bangor Subase in the late ’70’s to onload missiles, and for several months we were tied up to the pier on Hood Canal. I can recall standing watch up topside and being in absolute awe of the majestic snowcapped Olympic Mountains as they rose up so dramatically from the deep, clear waters. I can remember driving the liberty van from Bangor down to Bremerton, listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” on my portable cassette player. In those days there wasn’t a Kitsap Mall. Silverdale was just a four-way stop sign and Elsie’s Restaurant. Clear Creek Road was the major north-south road from the Subase, following along Dyes Inlet on what today is Chico Way, down to Bremerton. I would take the ferry boat over to Seattle and a bus ride up to Mukilteo and spend the weekend with my Aunt & Uncle, Bill & Doris Phillips, who owned a beautiful home on the high bluff overlooking the Sound.

Throughout the rest of my life, in the back of my mind, I always dreamed of one day living here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

After my 4-year stint in the Navy, I remained in Hawaii, went to school, and served as the youth director for First Baptist Church of Honolulu. I eventually returned home to California, where I met my bride, Janice, and got married July 2nd, 1983. Together we’ve raised four of the most awesome kids on the planet: Emily (20); Ben (18); Elliot (16); and Luke (13).

Due to a job relocation, My family and I ended up living in the Midwest for 15 years, 5 years in Chicago, and 10 years enjoying a great quality of life in Lawrence, Kansas, the home of Kansas University and the storied Jayhawks basketball program. I started my real estate career there in Lawrence, affiliated with Realty Executives/Hedges Real Estate.

One day, my brother-in-law,called with a proposition. He had taken over a distribution company from my father-in-law, wanted to expand into the Pacific Northwest, and would I consider heading up the expansion? After much discussion and a brief reconnaissance trip to the Seattle area, we decided to make the move.

Leaving our roots in Kansas proved to be a much more difficult transition than anticipated. Taking your kids out of school mid-year and moving to the Puget Sound region in mid-December is not the best timing. Our family had a cram course in endlessly wet, grey overcast days. We bought a hot tub (something my oldest son, Ben, had always dreamed of), making things somewhat more bearable. Finally, a strange, mysterious glowing orb appeared in the sky (the Sun), and Spring coaxed the Rhodies into bloom! We began to make day adventure trips, exploring our new surroundings. By the time Summer rolled around, we had purchased a 16-ft. C-Dory boat, the consumate Crabbin’ vessel, and we were fully immersed in the supreme privilege of calling Kitsap County our home.

A year or so after our arrival here, I realized that I had missed the joy of real estate way too much. I quit the family business (sorry, Dave!) and went back to relentlessly representing Buyers and Sellers of residential properties.

It’s been nearly 6 years now and I can’t imagine living anywhere else! So I guess that’s a huge part or reason behind this blog site - to boast, brag, promote, and share about this great place we call home!

So “Welcome to SoundBiteBlog” and now it’s YOUR turn to…. “Bite Me!”

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