Appraisal Scope

What is a hero? Webster’s dictionary defines hero as, “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage.”

I’d like to depart from our typical topics today to lament the loss of a dear friend to each of us at of Miller and Perotti and a true local hero, Jane Alexander.

Jane grew up in San Francisco and Marin, raised six children, and was married to the same man until his death in 1977. But her seemingly normal path in life deviated dramatically when, in 1983, her Aunt Gertrude was brutally murdered. The situation worsened when Jane suspected someone who she had loved and trusted was responsible. Rather than shut-down (as many of us might have), she worked indefatigably with law enforcement to see that he was convicted. From her first-hand experience as a victim in the criminal justice system, she dedicated the rest of her years to advocating for victims’ rights, pushing for the resolution of cold cases, lobbying for laws to keep our citizens safer, and campaigning to keep convicted killers behind bars rather than out on parole.

Her opinions and beliefs were not always politically correct, and she had many a legislative door slammed in her face, but she never stopped her selfless work, and in the end found that while she could not change the world, she could make her corner a little bit safer and could literally help thousands of families navigate a confusing system in which they had never intended to play a part.

While Webster’s definition is all well and good, I believe true heroicism comes in a thousand modest and selfless acts, and in doing what’s right in the face of adversity. And Jane Alexander was definitely a hero. Though not mythological herself, Jane was a recipient of the Minerva Award in 2006, an award begun by Maria Shriver to honor women of California who have made a difference in this state, though Jane would be the last person to tell you about this honor.

We are at a loss at the moment for how we will get on without her stubbornness, her humor, her tenacity, and her thoughtfulness. But I do hope we can all learn a lesson or two from an 86 year old woman who made life a little better for the rest of us, even when the legislative odds and voices of pessimism seemed insurmountable.

If you would like to learn more about Jane, there is a book, Citizen Jane, available at Amazon.com and the following news articles and press releases have also been written about her. Information about Citizens Against Homicide can be found at the CAH Website.

Citizens Against Homicide

Citizen Jane

California Women’s Website has a fabulous video clip of Jane

Maria Shriver’s web site has two links: a tribute to Jane and the Minerva Awards

News & Magazine Articles:

Marin IJ

San Diego Union Tribune

People Magazine

San Francisco Chronicle

Television:

CBS News

Hallmark Channel

Transcript from Larry King Live