When Dr. Lee Jacobson introduces himself to you it is always, “Hi, I’m Lee Jacobson.”

The “Dr.” title is just not an important part of this 67 year old man with a love of life.

Jacobson was recently honored at the Cumberland high school commencement as a “Graduate of Achievement.”

Jacobson’s involvement in the community is a passion. The list of organizations where he plays or has played a major roll includes the Jaycees, Kiwanis, Lions, Scouting, the Chamber of Commerce, the American Academy of Optometry, as well as the Indianhead Wisconsin and American Optometric Association.

In addition, Jacobson serves on the board of the Cumberland Federal bank and is very involved with his church, First Lutheran of Cumberland.

Jacobson is best known in Burnett and Polk counties as Dr. Lee, the warm friendly optometrist who serves so many of the area residents in the Jacobson Eye Clinic in downtown Frederic.

Along with his daughter, Dr. Jennifer Turcott, Jacobson serves patients in the Frederic office as well as one located in Cumberland.

At 67, Jacobson shows no sign of giving up any of the many activities that are such an important part of his life.

To find out what motivates him to this life of service, he will direct you to his childhood and family.

Jacobson feels fortunate to have grown up in a loving and caring family. “The commandments were commandments and not suggestions and the spiritual values that I gained, were a big part of my life from day one,” he explained.

“My father was a stiff necked Norwegian who believed that you weren’t worth anything unless you were working,” he added.

Jacobson’s great grandfather homesteaded in the Timberland Hills ski trail area and was a foreman at the saw mill in Barronett.

His grandfather went to watchmaker school and started a jewelry store in downtown Cumberland. His father studied optometry and worked in the back room of the grandfather’s jewelry store as an optometrist from 1931 until 1938.

“Back then it was common to have an optometrist and a jeweler working together sharing common tools in one location,” explained Jacobson.

Originally Jacobson wanted to be a medical doctor. “I didn’t do as well in school as I should have. I was a good proof that kids mature at different ages,” he admitted.

Jacobson joined his dad in 1966 as an optometrist. After his father retired in 1973, Jacobson ran the clinic on his own until his daughter, Jennifer joined him in 1995.

“My father was very kind and loving, but in business he felt he knew all the answers, so when Jennifer joined me I vowed that I was not going to be like my father and know all the answers,” said Jacobson.

“We knew that there were not enough patients in Cumberland to support both of us so we bought the practice in Frederic and it is a wonderful working relationship,” he added.

Jacobson feels very fortunate to have grown up as one of Gordon Toftness’s Boy Scouts. “The Boy Scout motto of ‘On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout law, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally alert and morally straight became my way of life,” he explained.

“I was in Scouts a long time and I simplified the Scout motto to just ‘Help other people at all times,” he went on.

In looking at his philosophy of life Jacobson looks back at his very active years in the Jaycees and added, “The last line of the motto of the Jaycee creed is ‘Service to humanity is the best work of life.”

“I was fortunate in that I received some real core values from my family and I was in a school where quality education was emphasized,” he went on.

Jacobson is an avid outdoorsman. “My dream at one time was to go out to Jackson Hole and work for an outfitter in a camp, but you do have to make money and feed your family,” he revealed.

Jacobson’s friend of 35 years, David Olson, said of him, “When we are hunting or fishing, he is a joy to be around. He is solid. He loves to do anything outdoors.”

“My favorite fishing partner is my wife Judy. It really is true. It is so much fun,” said Jacobson.

Jacobson has always been a true family man.

“My three sisters and I were his princesses. He taught us the strength and independence that we have and he taught us the work ethic,” said Jennifer Turcott of her father.

“My father was always there for us. He always made time for us,” she added.

The one other big piece in the puzzle that makes up Dr. Lee Jacobson is his church.  He has served on the council and served as council president several times at First Lutheran in Cumberland.

“Church has always been an important part of my life. If I miss church on Sunday I truly miss it,” explained Jacobson.

Turcott doesn’t believe her father will ever retire. “He loves his patients,” she explained.

Jacobson explained his thoughts on retirement.

“Retirement is a shift of priorities where earning money is not as much of an important thing as it was. It does not mean becoming less active. It means doing other things and maybe at a different pace,” said Jacobson.

The Jacobson’s spend several months a year in Tucson, Arizona.

“I may get a license in Arizona. I suppose there are lots of other easy to help people as we get older, but I still enjoy the working and I just love seeing my patients,” explained Jacobson.

“It keeps me involved. I still love to learn. I still want to be involved and study my journals,” he added.

Jacobson left me with one of his core philosophies. “When we say yes to something we say no to something else. So it is essential to evaluate what is important and what to give up. If you let the wind push you , you will accomplish nothing or be nothing.”