Jacob (Jake) Ervin Borders, 87, passed away on June 25, 2021 in his hometown of Seaford, DE. He was born in Elberton, GA on May 25, 1934, the son of Raymond and Myrtle Borders. He married Dolores (Dolly) Borders on September 28, 1957 and enjoyed sixty-three years of friendship and unconditional love until he went to be with his Lord and Savior.
After completing high school, Jake served in the U. S. Army as a radar mechanic for four years , then in the National Guard as a warrant officer for an additional twelve years. At the age of twenty-two, he started working for IBM as a computer engineer for over two decades, then retired so he didn’t have to transfer and move his family away from Sussex County. He then started B & B Electric in Seaford. Over the decades he worked both residential and commercial contracts that included Delaware Electric and the City of Seaford.
As well as loving his family, he was deeply in love with his Lord Jesus Christ and served as deacon and elder at Family Ministries in Bridgeville, DE for many years. After semi-retiring, he and Dolly spent 20 years on the mission field, mostly serving with Teen Missions International. During these years, he touched hundreds of lives of American teens by taking them on life-changing experiences across the globe; they went to the Philippines, Russia, Australia, Hong Kong, Central America, and many countries in Africa. Jake and Dolly spent seasons of time in South Africa where he taught local people to be self-sufficient with water, building, and agricultural projects. When he wasn’t overseas, he continued serving people in the local community, and this was when he developed a special place in his heart for Delmarva Teen Challenge.
He is survived by his wife Dolly, his three children Dawn Hopkins (John) of Fort Wayne, IN, Scott Borders of Seaford, DE, and Kristin Lee (Tim) of Seaford, DE. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren include Becca Hopkins Jones (Jeremiah) with children Jackson and Lila, John T. Hopkins (Chelsea) with children J, Bodi, and Van, Keesha Borders Givens (Brandon) with children Malachi and Gavin Borders and Jaxon Givens, Matthew Borders (Chelsea) with children Cooper, Owen, Beckham, and soon to come baby Borders, Vincent Borders (Rachel) with children Nora and Jude, Kirstin Borders Scott (Derek) with child August, Jacob Conner Borders (Cheyanne) with child Hudson, Trevor Lee (Jaime) with children Jaelynn and Kieran, and Ethan Lee (Bethany.) Jake was one of five children, preceded in death by Raymond Borders, Mildred Buck, Peggy Panaccione, and survived by Medra Iaconi. The legacy he leaves will continue to live on in the lives of those he loved.
His memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 17th, at 10 o’clock a.m. at Crossroads Community Church, Bridgeville, Delaware.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Delmarva Adult & Teen Challenge, delmarvateenchallenge.org, or Crossroads Community Church, 20684 State Forest Road, Georgetown, DE 19947.
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