Jacob Zeiger Slepian, 6/9/38-4/7/20, died from complications of Covid-19. Devoted son of the late Philip and Violet (Zeiger) Slepian, beloved husband of the late Carole (Gallancy) Slepian, loving father of Danielle Slepian (Bonnie Rosenbaum) of Jamaica Plain, MA and Beth Slepian (Ellen Finney) of Brooklyn, NY, cherished grandfather of Sylvie Rosenbaum and Guthrie Finney. Dear brother of Serena (Slepian) Robb and the late Paul Slepian and Barnett Slepian. Son-in-law of the late Daniel and Adeline Gallancy. Brother-in-law of Florence Slepian, Lynne Slepian and Arthur Gallancy, as well as of the late John Douglas Robb and Jack Ritenhouse. Uncle to Laura Slepian, Jean Slepian, Amanda Robb and husband Andrew Chesler, Jonna AuCoin and husband David, Daniel Gallancy and wife Shawna, Andrew Slepian, Brian Slepian, Michael Slepian and wife Lauren, and Philip Slepian. He had six grandnieces and grandnephews, as well as many cousins and treasured friends.
Jacob was born in McKeesport, PA and grew up in Newton, MA, McKeesport, and Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated in 1961 (Class of 1960) with honors, majoring in Social Relations, from Harvard College, where he was a member of Dunster House; earned his MD in 1968 from the University of Bologna in Bologna, Italy, received his Master’s in Zoology from the University of Florida in 1969; and completed his MBA at the University of Connecticut in 1995. He married Carole Gallancy in Rochester, NY on March 23rd, 1968. They lived in Italy while he finished medical school and then lived in New York and Washington, D.C., before moving to Connecticut, where they raised their family. He began his private practice as an ear, nose, and throat specialist in 1974 and was an attending physician at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT and Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport, CT. A man of great integrity, he was beloved by his patients, colleagues, and employees throughout his 40+ year career.
Jacob had a presence and energy that was larger than life and possessed many interests and talents. He became a pilot, flying small airplanes. He played numerous instruments including the piano, trumpet, and accordion. He was a champion squash player and long-distance runner who completed seven marathons and won his division in countless road races and triathlons. He sang and acted in many community theater productions and loved performing karaoke at local bars. In 1984, at the age of 46, he joined the Army Reserve Medical Corps and rose in rank from major to colonel over his 21-year military career. He served in active duty in the Gulf War in 1990 and also in the Iraq War in 2003, where he was stationed in Kuwait and was profiled on NBC’s Dateline for being the oldest soldier in a combat zone at age 64. A man who loved making people laugh, he joked that he would be sent to the next war with a camouflage walker.
Jake and Carole moved to Beachwood, OH in 2005 when he accepted a position at the Cleveland Clinic. He was a staff otolaryngologist at the Clinic for eight years and then at Summa Health in Akron, OH. While working in Akron, he enrolled at the University of Akron, where he began a bachelor’s degree in music. He was a competitive chess player in his later years, traveling around the country, competing in tournaments. Jake adored the pets in his life and loved taking cruises. He spent his final months at Orchard Cove in Canton, MA where he was active in the choir, was a soloist in their holiday concert, and performed his own concert of Frank Sinatra songs in January of this year.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Musical Theater Project, 5755 Granger Road, Suite 830, Independence, OH 44131, musicaltheaterproject.org. Private services were held on Monday, April 13th. He was buried together with his wife at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street in Sharon, MA.
