Jane Straus

Jane Straus 56, died on February 25, 2011, after a heroic two-year battle with brain cancer. Jane would never settle for anything less than a cure for her disease and she died in that pursuit, her devoted husband, Lester Kaufman, by her side. The daughter of Daisy and Jerry Straus, Jane was born in San Francisco on May 18, 1954. Jane graduated from Lowell High School and UC Davis. She majored in rhetoric which led to early jobs teaching English at the State Training Center. She authored her own materials for the courses which then became The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, a best-seller, which also led to the development of her popular, award-winning web site, www.GrammarBook.com. Jane had a special gift for understanding human nature. She became a life coach, touching and improving the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. These experiences led to the publication of her second book, Enough Is Enough - Stop Enduring and Start Living Your Extraordinary Life. She was a popular speaker at seminars, was a guest on numerous television shows including ABC's "View From the Bay," and hosted her own radio show, "Ask Jane" prior to the onset of her illness. Jane had been a resident of Mill Valley for the past 18 years. In addition to her husband of 23 years, Jane is survived by the joy of her life, her 18-year-old daughter, Zoe, currently a student at Stanford University; her mother, Daisy Straus of San Francisco; brother, Tom Straus and sister-in-law, Trish Straus of Piedmont; niece, Vivian Straus-Gehring of Piedmont; nephew, David Straus of Chico; and her devoted dog, Cupcake. While Jane had a rich network of friends, she especially would have wanted to acknowledge the extraordinary friends that spent countless hours by her side supporting her and her family through this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of Jane's favorite charities: The International Rescue Committee, Amnesty International, or The Progressive Magazine. Jane enriched the lives of everyone that came in contact with her and made our world a better place. She will be greatly missed. A memorial service is planned for 4:00 pm, April 17, 2011, at The Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Ross.