Jan Kristal, 56
Jan Kristal, M.A., 56, of San Rafael, Calif., died on after a long battle with cancer.
Born on Nov. 8, 1952 in Austin, Jan enjoyed playing on family farms as a child. She grew into a talented musician who played guitar, bass, ukulele and drums. Jan also loved ceramics, gardening, photography, traveling politics, the arts and gourmet food. Jan possessed a sharp wit and appreciated a good sense of humor.
She was a loving mother, spouse and daughter. During her extraordinary life, Jan achieved a rare balance between family, work and creative endeavors. She was one of the leading experts in child temperament theory. She appeared on “Dateline NBC”, authored the book “The Temperament Perspective and taught psychology at Dominican University and San Francisco State. Throughout her life, Jan provided training for parents and professionals and enabled them to become better parents, therapists, doctors and teachers.
She is survived by her husband, Alan; daughters, Nicole and Vanessa; father, Everett “Bud” Hertle.