June 23, 1936 – November 13, 2025
Jan Ross Edwards, a dedicated music educator, gifted pianist, and devoted matriarch, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025.
Born on June 23, 1936, in Sweetwater, Texas, to Ross Otey and Lorine Pace Otey, Jan was raised in Fort Worth, where she developed a lifelong discipline and a profound love for music. She married Thomas Stonestreet Edwards on June 30, 1956, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Southern Methodist University. Later in life, she furthered her education with a Master’s degree in Piano from Notre Dame de Namur University.
The couple moved to Los Altos, California, in the early 1960s, where they raised their family. Jan devoted her adult life to teaching piano, becoming one of the most respected music instructors in the San Francisco Bay Area, and serving as President of the Music Teachers Association of California.
A woman of deep faith, Jan was a devoted member of Bridges Community Church (formerly First Baptist Church of Los Altos) for over fifty years. Her unwavering support and grace will remain an enduring presence for all who knew her.
Jan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Thomas Stonestreet Edwards, who passed away on November 14, 2021.
She is survived by her son, Thomas (“Tom”) Stonestreet Edwards II, and his wife, Cynthia Edwards; her daughter, Jan Ellen Cooke, and her husband, Christopher Cooke; four grandchildren (Madeline Cooke and Arianna, Elyssa, and Jeremiah Edwards); and seven great-grandchildren: Serenity, Verity, Isaiah, and Felicity Jackson, and Timothy, Daniel, and Hope Fuchikami.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at the Bridges Community Church, 625 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos, California 94024, at 11 a.m.
