Port Blakely pioneer Robert Ralph “Jake” Jacoby, age 91, died April 4 on Bainbridge Island.

He was born Jan. 17, 1912, in Seattle to Ralph and Grace Jacoby, and grew up in DesMoines.

In the 1940s, he built his own dock by hand on the north shore of Blakely Harbor, using block, tackle and minus tides; the dock still stands today.

He worked on the Port Blakely water system and helped build the Masonic Lodge. He was a Mason for 50 years and a Shriner, and attended Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo.

He married Ethel Boyts in 1942, and they were married for 59 years until her death in November 2001.

As a young man, he went to Alaska many times by boat. He owned many boats over the years, but never fished. He enjoyed clam digging and taking friends for excursions. He and his family slept under the stars on camping trips, and he took children and grandchildren on excursions to Alaskan waters in 1979 and 1985.

He commuted from Point White to Bremerton on the passenger boat Carlisle for many years. retired from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 1977.

He is survived by children Fred (Joanne) Jacoby of Bellevue, Don Jacoby of Bainbridge Island, and Linda (Jim) Click of Tacoma; grandsons John A. (Robin) Cummins, Jr., of Sumner, David A. (Kelly) Cummins of Tacoma, Stephen A. Cummins of Tacoma; and great-grandchildren Nick, Savannah, Sabrina, Shyanne and Mason.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. April 26 at the Masonic Lodge on Bainbridge Island.