Jan. 7, 1948-Oct. 1, 2023
Jane Hardle Garassino, 75, died on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, while being driven by her husband to the Intermountain Hospital. She suffered a cardiac arrest before reaching the emergency room where the staff was unable to resuscitate her after 30 minutes of CPR. Jane was born in St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco on Jan. 7, 1948, to John Cory Franklin and Francis Fisher. She was married to Edward Blecksmith on Oct. 24, 2009, in Kapaau, Hawaii.
Jane was raised in San Mateo Park, California, and graduated from Burlingame High School. She attended the University of the Pacific for two years before transferring to the University of California at Berkley where, in 1970, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, she worked at Standard Oil of California for a short while before embarking on a very successful career in residential real estate in both San Francisco and the Napa Valley. Starting out in apartment sales, she joined Pacific Union International in San Francisco before being asked to open a Pacific Union Office in the Napa Valley.
During her transition to the Napa Valley, Jane met and married Ray Garassino who was the senior financial officer for the Robert Mondavi Winery. They were happily married until 2005 when Ray died of cancer. In 2008, she met Ed Blecksmith who became the second love in her life. In 2013, after enjoying years of success selling estates, homes, and vineyards in the Napa Valley, she retired prior to moving to St. George. Jane divided her time between St. George and the Kona Coast on The Big Island where she owned a ranch in Hawaii and later, after she and Ed were married in 2009, bought a condominium at the Mauna Lani Terraces.
Jane also had a very creative side. She produced lovely clutch purses adorned with antique broaches, before starting a jewelry business called Dazzle where she made beautiful bracelets and necklaces using antique beads, primarily from Murano, Italy. She also loved animals and spent 25 years with German Shorthair Pointer Rescue, often raising the dogs she had saved. She was passionate about saving wild horses and protecting animals. She also loved the Chinese game mahjong and became accomplished in both the American and Chinese style of play.
She is survived by Ed Blecksmith, her husband of just short of 14 years, and Ed’s two surviving children Christina McGovern of Long Beach and Alex Blecksmith of Pasadena, to whom she became a wonderful stepmother. She also leaves behind five beautiful grandchildren: Molly McGovern (16), Mairead McGovern (14) Maeve McGovern (9), Henry Blecksmith (6) and Charlotte Blecksmith (3). In addition, Jane is also survived by her two sisters Lynda Stephenson of Arkansas and Robin East of Idaho.
A special thank you is extended to the cardiac specialists at Intermountain Health who provided world-class care after she suffered her second heart attack in 2020. In lieu of flowers, consider donating to causes that support curing heart disease and the prevention of animal mistreatment. Jane’s family will hold a celebration of her life in the near future.
Arrangements are under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S Bluff St., St. George, 435-673-2454. Family and friends are invited to sign Jane’s online guest book.