Jakob S. Satz

Jakob S. Satz died in April in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He was 48.

Jakob Samuel Satz (“Jake”) was born in Martin, Tennessee on July 23, 1974, at Volunteer Hospital. He spent his initial years in the sun and beautiful fields of western Tennessee. When he was about ten years old, his family—following the work of his father, a historian of native and indigenous peoples—moved to Wisconsin, where Jake attended school, eventually graduating at the top of his class from Eau Claire Memorial High School.

Jake’s love of science began as a young child. He would gather samples from both inside and outside the house to examine under a microscope set up in a bathroom and mix “potions” of soaps, shampoos, and other products to examine the reaction and sedimentation over time.

Jake also was a talented artist who enjoyed drawing and cartooning from a young age, listening to music, and being physically active. He enjoyed being outdoors, playing competitive tennis, weightlifting, and spending time with his family and friends. He always made time for people, arriving out of state with a large corsage to escort his sister to her college homecoming court dance and sending thoughtful gifts to his niece for every possible holiday.

Despite his allergies to animals, he nurtured and loved many animals during his life, including dogs, cats, and a lizard. While attending the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and working at a coffee shop to earn money for holiday gifts for his family, Jake overheard some police officers talking about a bloodhound who was slated for euthanasia, and he adopted her (she treed a cat for three days because he did not know the command for “release”). His rescues also included Frankie, a dachshund mix found nursing his dead mother on the highway, and Red, a bloodhound mix he found in a desperate situation in a southern shelter.

Jake graduated from Washington University with honors, holding a Bachelor of Science degree and a dual major in philosophy and neuroscience. He completed his Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, under Dr. Kevin P. Campbell. He went on to complete two postdoctoral fellowships—both at Howard Hughes Medical Institute laboratories--one at the University of Iowa under Dr. Campbell and another at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine under Dr. Susan L. Ackerman (now at University of California—San Diego).

During his brief but distinguished career in neuroscience, Jake published 19 research works in top research journals for which he was lead author of nine, with 2,441 citations and 3,970 reads. His work centered on muscular dystrophies.

Jake was preceded in death by his father, Ronald N. Satz. He is survived by his mother Christa G. Satz of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, his sister Ani B. Satz and niece Hannah E.R. Satz, both of Atlanta, Georgia, uncles, cousins, and other extended family members throughout the county.

A celebration of life gathering to honor Jake’s life will take place on Saturday, August 12, 2023, 2:00-4:00 p.m., with a time to share memories beginning at 2 pm at the Hulke Family Funeral Home, 3209 Rudolph Road, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The family currently asks for privacy during this difficult time; please direct any queries to Mike Hulke at (715) 832-5002. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to your favorite animal charity. For a list of animal shelters and rescues near Eau Claire, WI, please visit http://chewy.com/g/animal-shelters-in-eau-Claire-wi_g11549.
 

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