Jane Story

I've read that if you have a friend that you've known your whole life it is a great blessing. It's an interesting thought...all the places we move and how we change, can a friendship endure for a lifetime? We boomers have all lived long enough to know by now if that’s true. I have 3 friends from way back in my Michigan childhood who still keep in touch and care about my life, so I know that I am very fortunate.

Today, when I think about being fortunate, it is because of a friend I met in 1991 when I first moved to Cape Coral. Her name is Jane Story and she sold us our dream house and became our close friend in the process. We lived just 7 doors away, and she and I would take power walks in the morning and talk about everything from real estate to the men in our lives to deep secrets. It was a glorious and sacred time for me. Getting to know someone who was so successful at what she did, yet made the people in her life her highest priority.

Jane was consistently the most successful realtor in the area with way more listings than any human should be able to handle. Yet she made every owner and prospective buyer feel special in a way that only she could. She always gave her undivided attention. If she didn't think the house was right for you, she would say so. Her great joy was in putting people in the houses where they belonged and would live out their dreams. That is why she loved what she did and worked 7 days a week to the chagrin of those of us who wanted more time with her.

Although she had a huge family with 8 brothers and sisters, many of us were made honorary family and were included in the fold of their special celebrations and gatherings. We were warmly enfolded and fed fabulous Italian food and lively conversation. Love and hospitality reign in her big extended family.

My significant other and I didn't have family near, and realizing this, Jane and her husband Jim would visit us on Christmas eve every year with special treats and - most importantly - a big chunk of their evening. We knew that we were special to them and it made our distance from family much easier to bear.

It was clear to see that Jane had begun her college career as an art major. Hand-made cards with pictures she had taken throughout the year are treasured mementos to many. Somewhere along the line she switched to marketing and began buying and selling real estate - coming to Cape Coral when interest rates were 18%, and the market was almost impenetrable. Undaunted, she told me once that somehow she just always had confidence that she would succeed.

Watching how she lived her life and ran her business taught me many lessons that I carry with me today. No matter how difficult the client, she never lost her temper and always took the high road, even in the most untenable situations. I would marvel at her patience and always sound judgment. If I ever found myself in a bind I knew that if I called Jane she would have a solution in mind. Most importantly, I knew that she cared.

Through the years that we were friends, I made some serious life errors, yet Jane never judged me. She would sympathize while offering sound advice – but only if I asked for it.

When Jane told me a bit over a year ago that she had cancer, I asked her about fear of death. In true Jane fashion, she threw up her hands and said, “Elaine, that’s the last thing I’m worried about. So many clients and people are dependent on me right now that I just hope to have the strength to get everything done.”

As I type this on the eve of Jane’s funeral, I take comfort in knowing that she didn’t have fear, and that family, friends and co-workers rallied like crazy to insure that indeed everything did get done.

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