Mary Janice Riggs Cloyde was born August 19, 1950 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Edgar and Pauline (Bradshaw) Riggs. After a decades long, hard-fought battle with cancer, she passed away on Monday, July 17, 2023, surrounded by family and friends in her home in Los Angeles, CA.
Jan was raised by Jessie Elbert and Genevieve Bradshaw (Uncle Eb and Aunt Vee) in Cheyenne, OK and attended Cheyenne Public School, graduating in 1968. She attended Oklahoma State University (OSU) where she received both her bachelor’s (1972) and master’s (1974) degrees. While at OSU, Jan was an active member in student government and the President of the Association of Women Students, establishing connections and friendships that would be sustained throughout her life. She continued to be loyal and true to Oklahoma State serving as a member of the President’s Fellows, a Councilwoman for Women for OSU, and the Board of Trustees and Board of Governors for the OSU Foundation.
Upon graduation from OSU, Jan moved to Dallas, TX, where she became one of the first women hired into Republic National Bank’s credit training program. Always the fighter, Jan overcame obstacles placed in her path and became a trailblazer for other women looking to challenge the corporate bias of the times. She consciously and consistently reached back for those behind her and pulled the next group of women forward as she moved ahead. Jan was a born leader, always challenging those around her to better themselves and helping them do so. Her career in banking took her from Dallas to San Francisco and, eventually, to Los Angeles. During her career, she held many positions in executive leadership and was identified as one of the most powerful women in banking by U.S. Banker’s. After years working for others, she took the opportunity to work for herself. In 2009, Jan gathered other seasoned professionals and funds and launched a de novo bank, Grandpoint Bank, and it was from this venture that she retired from banking in 2011. Following her retirement, she chose to focus her energy and time on her true passion, people.
Jan was fiercely loyal and made friends that became as close as family everywhere she went. The passion she had for her family, friends, and co-workers was unmatched, but she always held a special place in her heart for her family, especially her nieces, nephews and their children. Jan made time to invest in the people around her and in what motivated them. She actively championed many people throughout her life and never lost touch with someone once she brought them into her circle. Whether in the workplace, organizations, or life, Jan generously shared her time, insights, and wisdom. She was a dedicated advocate in her communities and a member of numerous philanthropic organizations throughout her life, focusing on women’s health, education, child and family development, and addressing the challenge of the unhoused. In 2008, she was recognized as the Los Angeles Business Journal “Women Making a Difference” Volunteer of the Year. She devoted many hours to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Los Angeles, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH). Jan was a co-founder of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center, a founding member of the United Way’s Women Leaders Initiative, and a member of the board for UCLA’s Women in Philanthropy. In addition to these organizations, Jan continued mentoring young women through her relationship with the UCLA Women’s basketball team. She was a guiding voice for the players and coaches. Jan made a point to support them at home and away, even traveling abroad with the team.
Jan made sure to share all her interests with those around her. She had a passion for traveling and encouraged others to see the world with her. She made it a goal not only for herself but also for those around her to experience new places and meet new people. When Jan wasn’t traversing the globe, people watching and enjoying Diet Dr. Pepper (with ice), she was proudly sitting courtside cheering on her “girls” at UCLA Women’s basketball games or sharing her love of literature with her friends and family. She was considered Aunt Jan to many and each and every one was impacted by her life in one way or another. Her influence on and inspiration to countless individuals and organizations were matched only by her unfailing generosity.
Jan is preceded in death by her parents, Edgar and Pauline Riggs, Aunt Vee and Uncle Eb, her brother, Larry Bradshaw. Jan is survived by her sister, Barbara Murdock and husband, Lloyd, Princeton, KY, sister-inlaw Marie (Tillie) Bradshaw, Cheyenne, OK; nieces and nephews, Lynda Lucas and husband, Frank, Roll, OK; Michael Bradshaw, Cheyenne, OK; Christy Daboval and husband, Kevin, Bixby, OK; and Kimberly Sander and husband, Stuart, Cheyenne, OK; Tonya Harrington and husband, Greg, Lexington, KY, Shawn Murdock and wife, Shawn Rae, Walton, KY, and Shea Murdock and wife, Jenny, Weldon Spring, MO; fifteen “grands” and six great “grands” and a host of other relatives. As a continuation of Jan’s legacy, the family requests memorial donations be made in her honor.