Obituary

Janalyn (Jan) E. McKusick

Well-known and respected La Jolla real estate broker and resident, Janalyn (Jan) E. McKusick, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2024. She was 85.

A native Californian, Jan grew up in San Diego County and spent the last 56 years as a resident of La Jolla, a place she truly loved.

Jan was attuned to the changes taking place in Southern California during the 1970’s and in 1971, she began her career in real estate. After only 3 months, she made her first major transaction and never looked back. Within 6 months, she was offered the position of manager of the branch office for a local firm.

An entrepreneur at heart, she stepped out on her own in 1975 to form McKusick and Associates. She refurbished a historic cottage at the corner of Cave and Prospect streets as the site of her first office. Her efforts, which reflected her belief in La Jolla’s charm, earned a commendation from the La Jolla Town Council for her aesthetic contributions to the village. As her business grew, she refurbished two other cottages on the site. McKusick and Associates’ iconic yellow houses were at the gateway to La Jolla for 14 years. Business growth eventually led her to relocate to buildings she owned on Fay Avenue where she remained until closing the company in 1993. Real estate was her passion and Jan continued to work with personal clients for many years after closing her offices.

Throughout her career, Jan was active in civic and business organizations. She was a member of the San Diego Board of Realtors and the La Jolla Real Estate Brokers Association where she served on the Board of Directors for many years.

Jan dearly loved her family and close friends. She also loved animals-especially dogs. She had a keen interest in food and was always game to try a new restaurant or cuisine. Lunch was her favorite and she went to lunch either with a friend or by herself almost every day.

Jan was preceded in death by her parents, Harland and Dolly Epps. She is survived by her brother, Harland (Johanna) Epps, sister, Paula (Philip) Mitchell, nieces Melody (Jeremy) Vogelmann and Naomi (Tyler) Best, nephews Brenden (Wendy) Epps and Lane (Claire Leichter) Epps, grandnieces Molly, Hazel and Hannah, and grandnephews Henry and Max.

The family plans a Celebration of Life at a later date. Those wishing to honor Jan’s memory may make a donation in her name to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation 28 West 44^th Street Suite 609 New York, NY 10036.