Meet the Jacobsen Family! Eric and Nora have lived in Long Point for almost three years with their two sons, Connor (21), Ian (17), and the family dog, Murphy, a 10-year-old Border Collie. Eric is originally from Chicago, IL, and comes from a long line of Naval Officers. He was an active-duty US Navy Surface Warfare Officer for four years and continues to serve as a Navy Reservist. Recalled to active duty and deployed to Djibouti, Africa, in 2020 for eight months during the COVID pandemic, he is currently the Executive Officer at DESRON 40 headquartered at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, FL. Eric’s civilian job is working remotely as a Senior Director of Marketing for a technology company. 

Nora’s family is from New Jersey, and her father was a retired Navy Captain, so she moved a few times as a child, which prepared her for a 20-year military career as a Naval Aviator. She flew the SH-60B helicopter early in her career, which is where she met Eric. She spent the last ten years of her career flying the C-9B (an MD-80) and has flown for various companies since retiring in 2012. She has spent the last 11 years in corporate aviation, flying for companies such as Coca-Cola and Gulfstream Corporation, where she was a Production Test Pilot. Nora’s current job has her commuting back and forth to Boston, MA, as the Director of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot for the Liberty Mutual Insurance Flight Department.

The Jacobsen family has moved around quite a bit due to Nora and Eric’s careers. They have lived in Florida, Colorado (twice), Atlanta (twice), Washington State, and Savannah (twice). After their first four-year stint in Savannah, they headed back to Colorado and to the mountains they loved, trying to make it their permanent home. In the end, Savannah’s marsh and ocean waters won them over, and they settled in Long Point. The Jacobsens are here to stay!

Connor graduated from Benedictine Military School, Class of 2019, and was commissioned at the United States Naval Academy in May 2023 as an Ensign in the Navy. He will follow in his mother’s footsteps and begin pilot flight training in Pensacola, FL, in March 2024. Ian is a rising senior at BC and, after graduation, is interested in serving our country as well. Both sons are active in sports and have a strong interest in participating in challenging military competitions. They have been part of the BC Raider Team, the Junior ROTC equivalent of the Army ROTC Rangers competition, and have earned the opportunity to participate in State Championships. Ian was a varsity member of the BC State Championship Raider team in 2022. Connor played varsity lacrosse for BC and was part of the US Naval Academy's rugby team, which won the 2023 Collegiate Rugby National Championship as a first-year varsity sport.

The Jacobsens love the water and are passionate about boating. They belong to the Savannah Yacht Club and try to spend as much time on the water as possible. Eric and Nora grew up skiing and kept the tradition alive with their sons. Connor got started on the slopes at seven years old, and Ian hit the snow at three years old. They make it a tradition to plan a winter ski trip every year to their favorite spots like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, or Vail, Colorado. “The goal is one day to have a place in the mountains – we love Jackson Hole in particular …a truly beautiful area,” says Nora. The family also enjoys pistol, skeet, and trap shooting in their spare time.

The Jacobsens are highly involved in their community and belong to St. Peter’s The Apostle Catholic Church on Wilmington Island. They are also members of the American Legion and the Navy League. As their busy lives settle down, they plan to become once again more active and involved in these organizations. 

Travel is a priority in the Jacobsen family life. In addition to the winter ski family vacation each year, they prioritize exposing their family to new sights, cultures, and adventures. Family bonds and memories are especially important to Eric and Nora. This past June, they traveled to France and explored Paris and Normandy. On every trip, Nora makes sure to find time for at least one museum in the area. So, of course, the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay were a must! Eric and Nora have a passion for the arts and, on their journeys, collect artwork to bring back and incorporate into their home’s décor. Nora shares, “The art we collect reflects our time spent as a family and can be passed down to our children’s children. If you walked through our home, you would see an eclectic collection of art from all our travels and reveals who we are.” The artwork is from a variety of styles and is priceless to the Jacobsens.

They love living in Long Point and cherish all the friendships they have made. They enjoy the Fourth of July parade and seeing all the younger families participating in the community. They feel this is the lifeblood of the neighborhood and the continuance of all that is Long Point. In the future, they hope to start a Long Point Happy Hour on the Grays Creek Drive docks to foster community connections and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Who’s in? – after all, “It’s five o’clock somewhere!”