William Janss

Through foresight and shrewd business sense, Janss and his brother, Edwin Janss Jr., allowed Thousand Oaks to operate in its early days without a property tax, according to Alex Fiore, a seven-term mayor. n March 1995, the Janss Corp. was presented with the USC School of Architecture's Parkinson Spirit of Urbanism Award in recognition of 100 years of innovative real estate development. Four months later, company officials announced that the Janss Corp. would close its doors by the end of the year. At the time, Janss' cousin, Larry Janss of Thousand Oaks, said the family's vast fortune had become "a twinkling of its former self" after 100 years and distribution to 15 heirs. The state's recession also hampered the corporation's fortunes. The family's holdings were split into three portions in 1981, and there had been little development since then. The company's only ongoing project was a $60-million renovation of the Janss Mall. In 1995, with the company facing bankruptcy, the project was taken over by the Janss Corp.'s financial backer, Goldman Sachs, the New York-based investment banking firm. Janss is survived by his wife, Glenn; son, Bill Janss Jr. of Memphis, Tenn.; and two daughters, Mary, who lives in Oregon, and Susan of Salt Lake City.