By Phil Walzer

Marc Jacobson, a retired Circuit Court judge and former Old Dominion University rector, died April 5.

Jacobson was Old Dominion's 19th rector, leading the Board of Visitors from 2006 to 2008. He served as a member of the board from 2004 to 2014.

Jacobson and his wife, Connie, were significant supporters of Old Dominion. They created several academic and athletic scholarships. In addition, they partly or totally funded the President's House (known as Jacobson House), the study centers in the Jim Jarrett Athletic Administration Building and the L.R. Hill Sports Complex; the Visitor Center in the Ted Constant Convocation Center, and the Strength and Conditioning Center in the new Mitchum Basketball Performance Center.

The Jacobsons also established the annual Marc and Connie Jacobson Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Lecture as part of the Old Dominion President's Lecture Series.

In 2016, Jacobson received an honorary degree from Old Dominion.

"While Marc was a proud Michigan graduate, people often told me he would never stop talking about his love and admiration for ODU," Old Dominion President John R. Broderick said. "We will all miss his wry sense of humor and his incredible way of making everyone feel so special."

Jacobson served as a judge for 14 years after practicing law for 32 years. He sat on the Norfolk General District Court from 1990 to 1995 and on the Norfolk Circuit Court from 1995 to 2004, serving as chief judge from 2001 to 2003. He subsequently was a substitute judge and arbitrator.

Jacobson was a past chairman of the Judicial Administration Committee of the Judicial Conference of Virginia for District Courts, as well as the Tidewater Area General District Court Judges' Association.

Jacobson also was a past president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Temple Israel of Norfolk and the Arnold Gamsey Lodge of B'nai B'rith. He was appointed a lifetime trustee of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation.

He served as a member of the boards of the Virginia Symphony and Chrysler Museum of Art. Jacobson had been a trustee for the city of Norfolk Employees Retirement System and a vice president of the Tidewater Mental Health Association.

He received the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Jacobson earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and his law degree from the University of Virginia. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve as an enlisted man and as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.

His funeral will be held at noon Sunday, April 8, at Temple Israel, 7255 Granby St., in Norfolk.