Jacob Andrew Cathers passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 25, 2025 after a heroic battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island on November 1, 1969 to James and Caroline Cathers. In life, Jake was rooted in the communities of Newport and Middletown, where he devoted each day to the places and people he loved. He was a graduate of Rogers High School and Rhode Island College and lived and spent his entire career working on Aquidneck Island, building a life that seamlessly blended family, service and entrepreneurship. Those who knew him will remember a man whose presence was constant and whose generosity was instinctive, someone who met needs quietly and directly, and who made everyone feel seen and loved.
Jake was, by every measure, the heart of the community. He coached across generations and abilities from softball to tennis, where he was always present for his players, especially his daughter Georgia. He was a driving force behind bringing Unified Sports to the island. He believed in teams and their ability to allow players to build dignity and belonging. Helping launch and grow Unified Sports locally created opportunities that endure well beyond a single season. As chairperson and a driving force behind the Middletown Prevention Coalition, he championed substance abuse prevention efforts, uniting families, schools, and agencies to protect and strengthen young people.
A natural connector and mentor, Jake also wove his commitment to community into his work as a small business owner. He owned and operated several Newport stores over the years with his wife Leslie, a team that could not be matched. From a young bold entrepreneur starting businesses like Cathers & Coyne in the 1990s to his current business, Man Overboard, which he opened more recently with Leslie and his son, Merritt, Jake’s storefronts, like Jake, were welcoming spaces. Not surprisingly, his teams reflected his values, and his customers became friends. In every role, Jake carried himself with humility, humor, and an unfailing sense of responsibility to others.
Jake’s deepest calling was as a father to Jackson, Merritt and Georgia. He was always present cheering them on in sports or at a “gig” for Merritt. All the while, Jake was his son Jackson’s constant, and he was patient, inventive, and steadfast as they navigated life with Angelman syndrome together. Through his writing, including “Dad Stories by Jake Cathers,” he shared unvarnished truths and wisdom that encouraged other families of children with special-needs. In this work, as in all things, Jake led by example: dignifying the daily, celebrating small victories, and refusing to accept limits on what inclusion could look like. He knew loss early, having been predeceased by his parents at a young age. Yet he chose, again and again, to transform hardship into kindness. He was lucky enough to have dear family friends Laurice Shaw and Stephen Parfet take on the role of parenting him through his teenage years into adulthood.
He built a life of meaning and impact, the kind of life that threads through a town’s memories and binds neighbors together. Everyone who knew him agrees that he is the fabric of this community, his influence is visible in the programs he sustained, the teams he coached, the doors he opened, and the countless people who felt his touch.
Jake is survived by the love of his life, his wife Leslie, and their children, Jackson, Merritt, and Georgia. He will be remembered for his devotion to family, his belief in the power of purpose, and the way he made each person feel like the most important person in the room.
Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, December 30th from 3:00-6:00 pm in the O’Neill-Hayes Funeral Home, 465 Spring St, Newport. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the James Jackson Cathers Supplemental Needs Trust, c/o Morgan Stanley, 284 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI 02840.
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