Gary Lee Jacob

Gary Lee Jacob, 72, of Noblesville, Indiana, passed away peacefully with family by his side at Riverview Health Hospital (Noblesville) on April 23, 2024. He was born on September 28, 1951, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to parents, Ralph J. Jacob and LaVonne (Butler) Jacob.  

Gary lived a full life surrounded by family, friends and former athletes. He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend.

Gary grew up in Indianapolis and was the oldest of eight siblings. His parents were founding members of the St. Simon the Apostle Catholic Church where Gary attended grade school and participated in CYO sports. Gary continued to be a parishioner at St. Simon throughout his life.

He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1969. Gary went on to attend Mount Marty College in South Dakota where he received a scholarship to play basketball and football. After college, he devoted his time to the development of student-athletes at a number of schools before ultimately landing at Warren Central High School, where he spent 31 years teaching and coaching basketball and golf. While at Warren Central he won a State Championship and had a wide range of accomplishments beyond that. Gary retired in 2010 after spending a total of 37 years as an educator and coach. Gary also worked simultaneously as a realtor at RE/MAX in order to reach the goals he had for his family.

The greatest joy in Gary’s life was his wonderful family. He met his loving wife, Karin, on a blind date set up by their best friends and they recently celebrated their 40th anniversary on March 31st of this year. Gary has two beautiful daughters, Ashley and Allison, who followed in his footsteps with their love of sports. He adored his grandchildren, Charlie and Ethan, as well as his grand pup, Leo. Gary will be the guardian angel for his future grandchildren.

He fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a lake house where he could fish and watch his family make lasting memories on the water. Gary enjoyed boat rides, delicious grilled meals by his son-in-laws, and watching his favorite sporting teams (IU, Pacers, and Colts). He loved doing puzzles, eating at his favorite restaurants, going on vacations with family and playing cards. He always reminisced about his time as a coach and was proud to share his past basketball stories about former athletes like Jeff George and Greg Graham. Our personal favorites were his stories about his relationship with legendary Indiana University Basketball Coach Bobby Knight.

We want to thank all of Gary’s doctors, nurses, and caregivers especially those at Riverview Health Hospital in Noblesville where he received exceptional care during his final weeks.

Gary is survived by his loving wife, Karin Jacob of 40 years; beautiful daughters, Ashley (Tyler) McCreary and Allison (Kirk) Sundstrom; grandchildren, Charlie, Ethan, Leo (grand pup) and future grand kids, siblings, Terry Jacob (Lynn), Diane Dowd (Joe), Debbie Stamas (Steve), Pam Padgett, Larry Jacob (Shannon), and Sherry Bluethmann (Jeff), brother-in-law Mark Kemper (Carol Anne) and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister Vicki Traub (Jeff) and brother-in-law Pat Padgett (Pam).

Visitation for Gary will be from 1pm-4pm on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at Flanner Buchanan – Hamilton Memorial Park (Prairie Waters) – 4180 Westfield Rd., Westfield, IN 46074. An additional visitation will take place from 10am-11am, Monday, April 29, 2024, at St. Simon the Apostle Catholic Church – 8155 Oaklandon Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46236, with a mass of Christian burial immediately following at 11am. Burial will take place at Calvary Catholic Cemetery.  

In memory of our beloved Gary Jacob, we kindly request that instead of sending flowers, you consider making a meaningful contribution to the Gary Jacob Basketball Sponsorship.

Funds will help establish scholarships for Indiana's youth, enabling them to attend the Mike Woodson Basketball Camp. We invite you to send your contributions to the Gary Jacob Basketball Sponsorship via Venmo to @GaryJacobBasketballSponsorship. The family also welcomes donations that are made out to Allison Sundstrom and sent in care of the funeral home: Flanner Buchanan – Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, 9700 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis IN 46250. It is worth noting that Gary had the privilege of coaching at Broad Ripple High School where Mike Woodson attended.

Your generosity will not only pay tribute to Gary's passion for basketball but also provide aspiring young athletes with an opportunity to nurture their talent, just as Gary did during his coaching career. Thank you for your kind consideration and support during this difficult time.