With a smile on her face and peace in her heart, Jan Tyler moved on from this part of her journey after a lifetime of joys and challenges she wouldn’t have missed for anything.
Jan was born Janet Catherine Ross to Gilson and Katherine Ross in Eugene, Oregon, on July 9, 1935, and left us on September 15, 2011. She graduated from St. Helen’s Hall in Portland, Oregon, and attended the University of Oregon in Eugene. She was married to David Tyler in 1954, a marriage that produced the most special people in her life and those of whom she is most proud: Karen Tyler Kashmar of Olympia, Washington, and her son, Craig Tyler of Ventura, California. Divorced in 1960, Jan moved from Eugene to Santa Barbara.
A single mom, Jan was determined to build a great life for herself and her children and begin a long career in escrow and related fields. After varied apprenticeships, she founded Sterling Escrow. She became the expert in Santa Barbara for escrows, opening offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito, and Santa Paula. She also taught escrow classes at Santa Barbara City College for a number of years. Becoming an acknowledged expert in tax-deferred exchanges of real property, she was, in 1988, one of the cofounders of First Exchange Corporation, the first national tax-deferred exchange intermediary in the United States.
The company was subsequently sold, and Jan retired to new adventures, such as sailing her Catalina 36 Summer Wind to the Channel Islands, traveling to faraway places with good friends and, most importantly, her granddaughter Alisha Kashmar Dickey (Brett), a tried-and-true friend and most favorite traveling companion, who journeyed with her from Ireland to Italy, from Mexico to the plains of the Serengeti.
Jan enjoyed her piano, was a good cook and an accomplished photographer, and followed her heart wherever it took her. During her life in Santa Barbara, she served on a number of charitable boards and enjoyed a wealth of great friendships along the way. In addition to Karen, Craig, and Alisha, she leaves great-grandchildren Carson and Catelyn to carry on where she left off. She is also survived by her brother Gordon Ross and his wife, JoAnn, and called many people in Santa Barbara, from the world of real estate to the docks of the harbor, her dear friends. Fair winds and following seas!