Jacob Jacobsen Jordal

June 7, 1925 – July 8, 2015

Jacob Jacobsen Jordal passed away 8 July 2015 at the age of 90. Jacob was born in Norway in 1925. He grew up in the hard times of WWII and at age 16 he set out on his own and joined the Norwegian Merchant Marine. He sailed merchant ships in the Baltic and North Sea, and he joined the Norwegian resistance movement as they liberated Norway from the Nazis. After the war he continued sailing merchant ships, including whalers and tankers, around the world. Between trips he studied at the Norwegian Merchant Marine Academy.

Jacob met his wife, Ellen Rasmusen in 1952, and they were married in 1953 in Denmark. After their marriage, they immigrated to the Los Angeles area where Jacob became a commercial photographer after attending Art Center School in Los Angeles. Jacob and Ellen settled in the Puget Sound area in 1969 and he eventually returned to sailing oil tankers with Arco before his retirement.

In addition to being a sailor, photographer, businessman and father, Jacob was an inventor, a painter, and a student of history and the sciences. He also taught Norwegian at the Sons of Norway lodge in Poulsbo, WA. Jacob is survived by his wife of 62 years, Ellen, and sons Jacob (Becky), Richard (Cherie) and Thomas (Amy). He is predeceased by a daughter Elisabeth. Jacob has five grandchildren, Lauren, Zachary, Anna, Sophie and Jack. Jacob will be buried at Poulsbo First Lutheran Church next to his daughter Elisabeth.