Jacobus died February 20, 2009, in
Tampa, Florida, at the age of 52, from a cerebral hemorrhage. At the time of her death, she lived in Tampa with her husband, Dean Jacobus and her three children, triplets, Kelly, Kimberly, and Bill. In October 2009, Jacobus was honored posthumously, with the Frank W. Mayborn Award, by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. The award is presented to outstanding publishers and editors, in recognition of their leadership and contributions to the newspaper industry. It was the first time that the award had been given posthumously. The family, Dean, and her three children were each given a
Frabel sculpture inscribed with the words: "This sculpture, called 'Ascendency,' was chosen by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association to honor Mary Jacobus for her vision, leadership and contributions to the newspaper industry." == References ==