Letters: Advocate carrier remembered as fine man

I don’t know if it is appropriate to write a letter to the editor about the death of one man. I refer to The Advocate’s article “Advocate newspaper carrier dies in I-10 crash,” dated Monday, Sept. 24. But Kelvin Jacobs, the newspaper carrier described in this article, was such an exceptional gentleman, that I feel compelled to recognize him.

I was fortunate to know Jacobs for nearly 15 years. As The Advocate’s article states, Jacobs had his own maintenance and lawn service. He assisted my parents in their later years with many repairs and tasks. He helped my husband and me on occasion.

There is no better man than Kelvin Jacobs. The Advocate speaks of how conscientious he was, and the fact that subscribers on his route called to inquire about him with concern. I think everyone who knew him felt similarly.

I had the opportunity to speak at length with Jacobs numerous times. His wife and two boys were his whole world. He once told me that he could probably live on the newspaper routes, but that he worked tirelessly for the rest of the day to have sufficient income to send his boys to very good private schools. Even more impressive, wherever he was or whatever he was doing, he would stop each day to meet his children at their school bus and make sure they got home safely.

Jacobs used his construction and maintenance skills in other ways. At his own expense, he traveled to West Africa to help install water lines so that people in remote areas could have water in their homes, or even at a single outdoor faucet they could all share. He was also a minister. I am sure he helped countless people throughout his life. He told me he learned his work ethic from his father, and hoped he was instilling it in his boys. His philosophy of life was completely positive and generous.

I have never met a finer person.

Diana Armstrong

retired business owner

Baton Rouge