Janet Lazarus

Sep 22, 1943 -

Nov 26, 2025

Janet Marie (nee Baugh, Jones) Lazarus was born on Sept. 22, 1943, in Houston, Texas. She is survived by her only son, Jon Lazarus; his children, Thalia and Kinzie Lazarus of Salem, Ore.; her brother, Kenneth Jones of Fort Bragg, Calif.; nephews, Craig Jones of Fort Bragg, and John Wood of Denver, Colo.; and niece, Karen Jones of Fresno, Calif. She is preceded in death by her sisters: Angela Coelho of Tulare, Calif., and Joyce (Wood) Werner of Kansas. Jan was a great businesswoman and had a generous heart. She loved animals and had many cats through her life. She succeeded in real estate and a general contractor during a time when construction was male-dominated. She was an amazing cook/baker, having operated several restaurants. Her generosity was unparalleled. She was very proud that she came from humble beginnings, created her own wealth and always tried to help others. She had amazing stories to tell of her adventures and always believed she was lucky, which she often proved by winning at casinos. She loved Alaska and the city of Tulare. Although born in Houston, her mother, Francis (nee Sturgeon) Coelho, moved to Tulare, when she was very young. The family fell on hard times. Janet and Kenneth were sent to different foster homes. Jan's foster parents owned a dairy in Waukena, where she learned a hard work ethic by waking early to feed the cows, going to school, then coming home to finish chores and homework. She attended Tulare Union High School, where she excelled in swimming, being recognized as an Olympic hopeful. Her mom married Angelo Coelho and reunited Jan and her siblings around 1960. Tragically, the youngest sister, Angela, died in a car accident in 1966, which deeply affected everyone. Jan decided to move to Anchorage, Alaska. Initially selling encyclopedias, she became a successful real estate developer. Her good friends, Leroy and Sallie Plaster, introduced Jan to Denis Lazarus, whom she married in 1971. Jon was born the next year and she built their dream home on Campbell Lake in 1976. Jan and Denis excelled at trap shooting, winning top awards during the late '70s and into the '80s. They enjoyed hunting and fishing, often flying out to remote cabins with friends for the weekend. They divorced in the early '80s. Her work thrived, having built many strip malls in Anchorage. She was able to travel to Greece and visit other good friends, the Xenos family. She operated JJs Cafe which became a popular breakfast place in Anchorage and again later in Tulare. In the mid-90s, the economy plummeted, and her father passed away. After 30-plus years in Alaska, she decided to move to Tulare and help her mother. She quickly became a top real estate agent with Coldwell Banker. After national success, she opened Redwood Reality. For the next 20 years, she dealt in commercial real estate and served on various city boards. One of her projects stood out. In 2005, she purchased land in North Tulare and built a shopping center that she operated until the day she died, having immense pride in being a landlord. Jan died of lung cancer on Nov. 26, 2025, in Stanford Hospital with her son and his wife by her side. She will be laid to rest with her family in the Tulare Cemetery. The family would love to hear from Alaskans who knew her. Please submit stories to jan@commercialrr.com.