Kimberly Ellen Jacoby

Service : Friday, May 23rd at 10:00 am
Service Location: Shalom Chapel Service
Shalom Memorial Funeral Home
1700 West Rand Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Interment:
Shalom Memorial Park
1700 W. Rand Road
Arlington Heights

Shiva Information

Jacoby Residence
1572 McDaniels Avenue
Highland Park, Illinois 60035

Friday following the service until 6pm
Saturday 4pm to 8pm

Parking is limited and despite the no parking signs, parking is available on McDaniels, Kimball, Court, and Golf.
Please only park on one side of the street.
ABSOLUTELY NO parking on Central or Laurel Avenues.

Shiva Coordinator is Jodi Urkov
Jodi may be reached at 312-953-3112

Contributions
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WomenHeart, http://www.womenheart.org, an organization that serves women with or at risk of heart disease; or Helping Hands Network, http://www.helpinghandstoday.org, an organization that means a lot to Kim and Jay and works to ensure every person has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to a harmonious society.

Kimberly Ellen Jacoby, 59, of Highland Park, IL, passed away suddenly on May 20, 2025, leaving a huge void in our hearts.

She was the beloved wife and best friend of late Jay Jacoby for 31 wonderful years; loving mother of Rachel and Leah Jacoby; devoted daughter of Lillian Simon (nee Waxman) and the late Ronald Simon; daughter-in-law of the late Joanne and Gerhard Jacoby; dear sister of Heidi (Matthew) Forte and Jamie Simon-Wainick (Michael Wainick); treasured aunt, cousin, and friend of many, and devoted dog mom to Chloe.

Kim graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in French and Business. Kim spent one year living in Paris studying art history, learning French, and eating many crepes. She then pursued her Master of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kim spent twenty-five years as a benefits consultant, where she helped people understand their healthcare coverage and advocate for better pay, while learning about the issues facing workers across the globe. Her career took her to multiple continents and nearly all fifty states. When Jay was diagnosed with brain cancer, Kim retired to have more flexibility and started a local handyman business.

She moved to Chicago after graduate school where she lived with her sister Heidi and eventually met her beloved husband, Jay. Kim and Jay got married in 1994 and had two wonderful daughters, Rachel and Leah. Kim and Jay balanced each other perfectly-Kim was extroverted, active, and always on the go while Jay was introverted, easy-going, and content to relax at home. Kim and Jay shared a love that was full of humor, adventure, and laughter.

Community was everything to Kim. She had a unique ability to quickly form meaningful relationships with others. She had a contagious smile and consistently went out of her way to include others. People were drawn to Kim because of her warm presence that made everyone around her feel instantly comfortable.

A couple of years ago, Kim and Jay retired to Boca Raton, Florida. Boca was Kim and Jay’s “happy place” where they made beautiful memories with close friends. Florida was always a second home to Kim-she grew up visiting her grandma Millie in Florida as a kid and her mother Lillian and father Ronald in Boca West. In Florida, she loved to play pickleball at open play each morning, socialize with friends during Canasta and Mahjong, try new restaurants, and bring Chloe to the dog beach each weekend. But most of all, the friendships she made in Boca are what made Florida so special.

Kim loved the sun. She could lay out at the pool or beach reading or sleeping for hours at a time. Kim found meaning in the small moments in life. You could always find Kim laughing on the pickleball court, singing Billy Joel as she cooked dinner, taking Chloe on long walks, exploring new countries, and having game nights with Jay and the girls. Her love for adventure felt limitless, and Kim cherished making memories with family and friends.

Anyone who knew Kim was touched by her warmth. Kim loved deeply-the joy and light Kim embodied will live on in her daughters and everyone who was fortunate enough to love her.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WomenHeart, www.womenheart.org an organization that serves women with or at risk of heart disease; or Helping Hands Network, www.helpinghandstoday.org, an organization that means a lot to Kim and Jay and works to ensure every person has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to a harmonious society.

Chapel service Friday, May 23 at 10 AM at Shalom Memorial Funeral Home, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. Interment will be at Shalom Memorial Park immediately following the service. For a link to virtually view the service, shiva information and leave condolences,www.shalommemorial.org or (847) 255-3520.