Per Jacobsen

Per William Jacobsen has ridden off to new pastures on his 650cc scooter to reacquaint himself with family and friends, free at long last from extreme pain! He passed away peacefully on May 12, 2025, listening to his favourite music with family at his side. He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Fay (Wahlund) Jacobsen – his true soul mate. He is also survived by his son, Gregory; daughter-in-law Annie (Dave); brother-in-law Leslie; sister-in-law Anne; aunts-in-law Dorothy and Betty; uncle-in-law Barry (Gloria); grandson Nathaniel; granddaughters Bailey, Brittany (Joey), and Chloe; great-grandson Hudson; and great-granddaughters Chancee, Isla, Arya, and Riley; as well as nieces, nephews and friends. Per was predeceased by his parents, Bodil and Carl Jacobsen of Denmark, and in-laws Viola and Fritz Wahlund of Canada.
Per was born on July 5, 1942, in Prasteo, Denmark. His father was a photographer; during World War II, their home was occupied by a German soldier who monitored him to ensure that he was not making fake papers for anyone. After the war, Per became a member of a youth underground radio operator group, which aimed to prevent future wars. Per’s mother was a talented artist.Per had a life-long interest in planes. He built model airplanes as a child, often riding his bike to nearby towns to obtain parts for his projects. His curiosity led to other hobbies, including fixing clocks for friends and relatives. One unnamed experiment resulted in him blowing off both eyebrows! As an adult, Per’s passion for planes came to fruition when he earned his pilot’s license, including being certified for night flying.After graduating from high school, Per trained in the medical equipment field (building and repairing), leading to his recruitment by the Canadian government – his skills were needed far away from home. Per emigrated to Canada and settled in Saskatoon, where he had an uncle to stay with for a short while. He started a job at Bill Boyd’s on Broadway fixing radios, televisions, and stereos and after a few months living with his uncle, moved in with a coworker, Garry. His new roommate brought Per along when visiting the town where Fay Wahlund was teaching; they met and argued, but something apparently sparked during that initial date, because they got together again during Easter break and married four months later! Per was often self-employed. He worked fixing and fitting hearing aids for awhile; wrote financial computer programs; sold satellite phones to clients all over the world; and installed sounds systems in many schools in Saskatoon. Per also patented an antenna system for satellites to track truckers – long before GPS was an everyday reality. He was well ahead of his time! Per was also offered a job at the famed Loma Linda Hospital in California due to his expertise with medical equipment.Per had many and diverse interests and hobbies: he was a ham radio operator; was a member of the Scandinavian Club (loved the food and the dancing!); enjoyed cooking, watching birds, reading for knowledge, walking, and travel. Per also loved motorcyles and had many over his lifetime; he was a member of a local motorcycle club and made numerous trips to points in western Canada. He enjoyed watching car racing and soccer on TV and listening to music.Per was intelligent, observant, kind, stubborn, and didn’t like waste. He was precise, complex, not hugely social, but always charming. He will be missed.The Celebration of Life for Per William Jacobsen will be held on Monday, June 16 at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel at Sherbrooke Community Centre, 401 Acadia Drive, Saskatoon.