Jacob Derek Polete

POLETE, Jacob Derek, age 16, of Oakwood, passed away on Friday, November 30, 2018, at Hills and Dales Metro Park near Dogwood Pond. He was born to Sean Polete and Carrie Turner on September 5, 2002. He has attended Oakwood Schools since 1st grade and was in his junior year at Oakwood High School. He was a member of the Oakwood marching band, where he played clarinet. He attended Fairhaven church where he volunteered at Celebration Place, a program serving children 5 to 13 years old coping with life’s tough issues. Jacob was an avid naturalist, a fan of bush craft, and wilderness survival. He enjoyed hiking in the woods, biking riding, and exploring large cities like New York and rural areas like the Metro Parks. He was not a fan of suburbs. He had recently started working as a bagger at Dorothy Lane Market, and was very proud of himself for saving his earnings to buy himself a new bicycle. Jacob loved food challenges, cooking, and pushing the limits of his taste buds with strong flavors and strange foods. He was fearless and impulsive, and never backed away from a challenge. He had great compassion and love for his furry friend Athena and an intimate circle of friends. His loving yet mischievous personality, combined with his intelligence and innate wisdom, gave the sense of being in the presence of an old soul. He was captivated by Lord of the Rings, both the books and the movies, and the band Pink Floyd. He was a curious experimenter and delved deeply into chemistry and botany. Since early childhood, Jacob was a skilled “deconstructive engineer,” and took apart every object he could get his hands on. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his dog, Athena; parents; siblings, Bailey & Alex; grandparents, Stanley Polete, Maria Costello, Reed Turner; great-grandparents, Evelyn Mercado, Blanche Matthews, Charles Turner. Jacob will be memorialized by family and friends on Friday, December 7 from 5-8pm at Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E Stroop Rd, Kettering 45429. Celebration of Life Memorial Service will take place the following morning at 10am at the funeral home with a reception to follow at Oakwood High School Library. In lieu of flowers and food, the family requests contributions to be made to:
- Friends of Metro Parks Commemorative Tree & Bench Program
- “The Jacob D. Polete Endowment for Adolescent Behavioral Health & Suicide Prevention” in partnership with Dayton Children’s Hospital
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.routsong.com.