Henry David Jacobs Jr.

Henry D. Jacobs, Jr., a Spartanburg entrepreneur, philanthropist and longtime community figure, died September 1, shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday.

Henry built a life defined by vision, instinct, loyalty and a deep attachment to Spartanburg. He was best known professionally as the founder of One Price Clothing, but the qualities that shaped his business life—intelligence, candor and an unusually sharp eye—followed him everywhere: into his gardens, his travels, his appreciation of art and objects, and the family he and his wife, Susan, built over more than six decades together.

Before beginning his business career, Henry attended Babson College. He later served in the United States Navy during the Korean War as an ordnance officer as well as a waist gunner aboard a PB4Y-2 patrol bomber. It was an unusual and demanding role that formed part of his early adult life before he went on to build his career and family in Spartanburg.

Henry had a presence that was difficult to miss, though he never seemed particularly interested in attracting attention. He was more interested in what was worth noticing than in being noticed himself.

He was striking, observant and direct, with an ability to size up an idea quickly. His intelligence was matched by a directness that could leave a lasting impression.

That instinct served him well in business.

Henry founded One Price Clothing in 1984, at a time when Spartanburg’s long history in textiles was helping shape a new generation of entrepreneurs. He understood that world and recognized an opportunity within it.

In only a few years, One Price was publicly traded, and a decade later had grown to 600 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico.

It was an extraordinary trajectory for a company built in Spartanburg, and an important chapter in the region’s evolution from textile center to a broader hub of commerce. Henry’s visionary thinking carried his success far beyond Spartanburg, even as he remained deeply rooted in the community he called home.

Yet business was only one part of the life Henry and Susan created together.

During their 66-year marriage, they raised six children, worked hard, entertained often and traveled extensively. Their lives took them around the world, deepening a shared interest in art, history and culture. Over the years Henry also loved to take Susan for rides in the assorted big engine cars of yesteryear he took great pleasure in owning and driving.

Susan was Henry’s partner throughout those years, and together they shared a strong commitment to family, community and the arts. They supported organizations in education, health, the arts and community life, often quietly and without ceremony. Among their most lasting gifts is the Susan Jacobs Arboretum at the University of South Carolina Upstate, created and endowed in Susan’s name.

Closer to home, Henry was happiest outdoors. He cared deeply about gardens and the natural world, and some of his most contented hours were spent checking on the koi in his ponds, walking the nearly 100 acres he tended with great care, and moving among the trees, plants and flowers surrounding his home.

For all that Henry built and accomplished, family remained the constant.

Henry and Susan raised six children—Brett (Wife-Daniela), Shawn, Laurie, Clay, Doug and Seth—and held their large and lively family close. Henry occupied a central place within it. He was less a sentimental figure than a foundational one: a source of perspective, standards, continuity and strength.

He lived long enough to build meaningful relationships not only with his six children, but with his five grandchildren—Dakota (Husband-Bruce), Alex (Husband-Kris), Sydney, Gunnar (Wife-Emily) and Zion—and four great-grandchildren—Beckett, Zara, Sawyer and Isla. Across those generations, he remained engaged, observant and unmistakably himself.

Henry was preceded in death by Susan Cohen Jacobs, who died in November 2023. Their marriage was the foundation of an expansive life together—one shaped by doing, seeing, giving, working, traveling, gathering people and remaining deeply committed to Spartanburg and to one another.

Henry leaves behind more than the record of a successful entrepreneur. His legacy can be found in the institutions he and Susan strengthened, the garden that carries her name, the art and objects gathered quietly over a lifetime of travel, and the home and grounds he cared for over many years.

Most enduringly, it can be found in the family that continues after him—six children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren who knew him not simply as a figure from another generation, but as a steady and defining presence in their own lives.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg, P.O. Box 1441, Spartanburg, SC 29304; St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, P.O. Box 3466, Spartanburg, SC 29304; or Spartanburg Regional Hospice, 120 Heywood Avenue, Suite 200, Spartanburg, SC 29302.

There will be no funeral service.