Jacob David Ward passed away on Friday, August 15, 2025 at the age of 40 due to medical complications of an existing illness. His departure was unexpected and sudden, a tragic loss for his loved ones.

Jake was a loving parent to his five children: Donny, Abby, Sophie, Henry, and Andrew. He was a caring son to his mother Connie, a goofy big brother to his sisters Bre and Hannah, a dedicated companion to his partner Erica, and a supportive friend to many. Taken too soon, he will be greatly missed and remembered with love and respect.

Jake loved his children with all of his heart. He spoke of them often and made sure everyone knew how proud of them he was. Enamored with their unique personalities, he loved seeing them grow. Jake had been planning to buy a house in Duluth, MN for his family, with plenty of space to play outdoors. He was looking forward to sharing more adventures together, and kept a running list of ideas in his phone: a ropes course in Silver Bay, MN, riding the pizza train along the North Shore, playing paintball in Superior, WI, a trip to Manitou Falls, WI, and some simple ideas: camp, canoe, disc golf. Jake treasured every moment he spent with his children, and missed them dearly when they were apart.

Another great love of Jake’s was his partner of five years, Erica. He often spoke of how much he cherished Erica’s kindness and love and how grateful he was for her support. Jake was a romantic at heart and often planned and cooked dinners to treat her. Together they enjoyed doing craft projects and singing songs, with Jake on the guitar. Exploring Duluth as a pair, they visited Enger Tower, took in the view on the beaches of Lake Superior, and visited the local cat cafe – even though he was a dog person. Jake was so in love and they made a wonderful pair.

Jake was funny and talkative. He thought it was hilarious to tell “dad jokes” to his kids. With family and friends, he loved to tell stories and exaggerate the details to try and get a laugh. He adored staying in touch with his favorite cousin and uncle, reminiscing and swapping tales. He loved his family, each and every one of them, and he treasured his nostalgic memories of time spent together in childhood and adolescence.

From a young age, Jake always had an adventurous spirit and a need for speed. On the water, it was tubing, kneeboarding, and zipping around in a small speedboat that he had built with his father Don, complete with flame detailing. On land, it was flying off jumps on his bicycle, then a mini bike around a dirt track, then a dirt bike and way bigger jumps, and then a motorcycle in his adulthood for some time. He was always down to show you one of his “cool stunts,” pausing first to make sure you were recording.

A man of many interests, Jake loved being outdoors: boating, hunting, fishing, and exploring. As a kid, he was an avid fort builder in the woods around his childhood home and loved shooting targets with a BB gun. He relished fishing and hunting trips with his father, uncles, and cousins. As a dad, he became passionate about disc golf and sharing that hobby with his children. He founded a youth disc golf club called “Early Birdies” and built a community of friends that shared in the fun. He also enjoyed sharing Duluth’s trails and parks with his kids. Some of his favorites were: Lester Park, Chester Creek Park, and Lincoln Park. He often brought his kids to Grandma’s house on the lake for fishing and swimming, and he had gathered a large collection of floaties and water toys they’d goof around with.

Jake was a music lover, crossing many genres. As a teen, he learned to play bass guitar, and had a short-lived garage band that played rock and punk covers, notably “Brain Stew” by Green Day. He was known to crank the grunge and play the Star Spangled Banner note-by-note with the volume at 11, inspired by Jimi Hendrix. In adulthood, he taught himself to play acoustic and 12-string guitar, enjoyed learning folk covers, and making up silly songs with his kids. Most recently, he was listening to a combination of folk music, classics, and rap, including Bob Dylan, Kina Grannis, and Trampled by Turtles. He had recently performed “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan with his partner Erica at an open mic and was really proud of that.

Jake explored a variety of career paths over the years and always went full-bore into whatever his current profession was. He strived to be the best, fastest, or most clever at every job, evidenced by his passionate sales pitch for candles when he worked at Pier One Imports. As a young man, he completed basic training in the Air Force and served for a short time before his own father’s passing required him to return home. He cooked and served in restaurants, developing a knack for making homemade french fries and dubbing himself a master of the grill. He worked as an electrician’s apprentice for four years and later learned general carpentry and woodworking. He installed fans in chicken barns, cleaned pheasants at a gun range, sold vacuums door-to-door, and more – all with great enthusiasm. Most recently, he was driving for Uber and Lyft and took great pride in his 5-star rating, how his music selection impressed his customers, and the pristine interior of his van.

What else can we say about Jake? He’d probably request this be re-written to make him sound more “badass” and “hilarious.” He’d want us to tell you about his newfound interest in gardening, his cannabis plants he was excited to watch grow, and that he’d love for anyone out there who partakes to “rip a fatty” in his honor. Classic Jake.

We know there are lots of good stories of fun times and shenanigans with Jake. Please share them in the Memories section to celebrate the life he lived.