Jan Zobel

American activist (1947–2018)

Jan Zobel

Jan Zobel as a teenager, from a 1963 high school yearbook

Born| (1947-02-08)February 8, 1947

San Francisco, California

Died| September 18, 2018(2018-09-18) (aged 71)

Oakland, California

Occupation(s)| Accountant, activist, writer, community organizer

Jan Zobel (February 8, 1947 – September 18, 2018) was an American activist working for LGBTQ rights and community in the San Francisco Bay area. She was also a tax accountant, and published a book on taxes and recordkeeping for women.[1]

## Early life and education

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Jan Arlene Zobel was born in San Francisco, the daughter of Jerome Fremont Zobel and Louise Purwin Zobel. Her father, a Pearl Harbor survivor, was a physician and professor at Stanford University Hospital,[2] and her mother was a journalist and travel writer.[3] She attended Palo Alto High School[4] and Whittier College,[5] and earned a master's degree in education at the University of Chicago.[6]

## Career

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Zobel was a teacher by training, and was one of the gay teachers vocal in challenging California's Briggs Initiative.[1][7] She became an accountant, and had a tax accounting business with offices in San Francisco and Oakland.[8] She gave workshops on the basics of tax preparation.[9][10] She wrote Minding Her Own Business: The Self-Employed Woman's Guide to Taxes and Recordkeeping,[8][11][12] originally published in 1997.[13] She was editor of the San Francisco Bay Area People's Yellow Pages.[6] In 1978, she and Harriet Leve compiled The Women's Connection, a coupon book advertising woman-owned businesses in the Bay Area.[14] She was recognized by the Small Business Administration with their Accountant Advocate of the Year Award.[15]

Zobel was active in gay rights campaigns and in the lesbian communities of the San Francisco Bay area. She joined the board of the San Francisco Women's Centers in 1973.[16] She helped establish the library at the San Francisco Women's Building, taught auto repair classes for women, and assisted other gay and lesbian foster parents in negotiating the social services system.[17] She co-founded Options, a program to educate medical professionals on culturally sensitive care for patients from LGBTQ communities.[1] She organized an annual East Bay Hanukkah party for LGBTQ attendees. She supported and participated in the Bay Times San Francisco Pride Parade. She supported the work of the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice.[18]

In 2002, at age 55, Zobel competed in the Gay Games in Sydney, Australia, in the novice mountain biking event, and won a gold medal for her age group.[19][20]

## Personal life

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Zobel died at home in Oakland in 2018, aged 71 years.[18][21] Her papers are in the collection of the GLBT Historical Society in San Francisco.[15]

## References

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1. ^ a b c Love, Barbara J. (2006-09-22). Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975. University of Illinois Press. p. 506\. ISBN 978-0-252-09747-8.
2. ^ "Dr. Jerome F. Zobel". SFGATE. 1999-02-10. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
3. ^ "Book Reviews". The Californian. 1984-08-18. p. 37. Retrieved 2021-06-27 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ Palo Alto High School, Madrona (1963 yearbook): 153. via Ancestry.com
5. ^ Whittier College, Acropolis (1967 yearbook): 72, 196. via Ancestry.com
6. ^ a b Wong, Ken (1981-04-22). "The Pages are Yellow but the Cost is Cheaper". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 90. Retrieved 2021-06-27 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Blount, Jackie M. (2006-07-03). Fit to Teach: Same-Sex Desire, Gender, and School Work in the Twentieth Century. SUNY Press. p. 143\. ISBN 978-0-7914-6268-3.
8. ^ a b Zwhalen, Cyndia (August 15, 2011). "What's deductible when working from home?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
9. ^ "Relax about Your Taxes". Noe Valley Voice. October 1987. p. 12. Retrieved June 28, 2021 - via Internet Archive.
10. ^ "Seminars". Santa Cruz Sentinel. March 19, 1989. p. 55. Retrieved June 28, 2021 - via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
11. ^ "Internet Bookwatch". Midwest Book Review, Vol. 15. No. 4\. April 2005. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
12. ^ Szabo, Joan (May 1, 1999). "Audit Angst?". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
13. ^ 'Minding her own business : the self-employed woman's guide to taxes and record keeping'. OCLC 42389594. Retrieved 28 June 2021 - via Worldcat.
14. ^ Chapin, Dwight (1978-12-15). "Woman's Home Companion". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 41. Retrieved 2021-06-27 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ a b Jan Zobel Papers, GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco.
16. ^ Robb, Sushawn (2011-12-08). Mothering the Movement: The Story of the San Francisco Women's Building. Sushawn Robb. p. 10\. ISBN 978-1-4327-8105-7.
17. ^ "Children Workshop for Gays Sept. 24". Bay Area Reporter. September 14, 1978. p. 28. Retrieved June 28, 2021 - via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
18. ^ a b "With Deep Gratitude: Jan Zobel (1947 - 2018)". Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice. December 19, 2019. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
19. ^ "In Memoriam". San Francisco Bay Times. 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
20. ^ Heredia, Christopher; Ford, Dave (2002-09-06). "Gearing up for Gay Games / Athletes practice with pride to prepare for Sydney competition". SFGATE. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
21. ^ "Memorial Gathering for Jan Zobel" (PDF). Lavender Notes. November 2018. p. 1. Retrieved June 27, 2021.