Judah Leon Jacobowitz, 81, of South Brunswick, and engineer and poet, died Friday, Dec. 23, of pneumonia and other complications.
He was born in New York City, June 15, 1924. He grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and attended Townsend Harris High School, and later, City College of New York where he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
Mr. Jacobowitz served in the Army Air Corps toward the end of World War II. When he returned to civilian life, he worked as a mechanical engineer, first for the M.W. Kellogg Company, and later for Mobil Oil Corp. He was recognized for his work in the design of oil refineries, where some of his innovations are still used in the industry today.
Though he worked all his life as an engineer, his true passions were in the arts. He had a great love of classical music, and he was a published poet. Many of his works appeared in various poetry journals, and his book of poetry, "A Taste of Bonaparte," was published in 1990.
His honors include winning the 1985 New Jersey Statewide Poetry Competition, and selection as finalist for the 1984 "Discovery/The Nation" contest. Mr. Jacobowitz served for a period as president of the Delaware Valley Poets, and is listed by "Poets & Writers." He and his wife were members of Community Without Walls (CWW4).
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Celia; his two children, Elliot of Andover, Mass., and Diane, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two granddaughters, Eliana and Jessi; a daughter-in-law, Sara Martin; and a son-in-law, Richard Merle.
Memorial services will be held at Goldstein Funeral Chapel in Edison, N.J., Today (Thursday), Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. Shiva will be at the home of the family, 206 Cleveland Lane, Princeton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease foundation of your choice.

