Obituary: Jane Humphrey, Founder of Once Upon a Time

Jane Humphrey, the founder of Once Upon a Time children’s bookstore in Montrose, California, died on October 7 at the age of 79 after a long illness.

Determined to create a place for quality children’s book shopping, Humphrey opened Once Upon a Time in 1966 and ran the bookstore for 36 years, until it was sold to Maureen Palacios in 2003, the Glendale News-Press reported.

“The store was her fourth child…her legacy is that when she spoke to somebody [such] as a customer, each person was the most important person. Every person got her full attention,” Humphrey’s daughter, Susan Humphrey, told the News-Press.

Jane Humphrey was predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Bob Humphrey, and is survived by her children, Christopher, Susan, and Tim Humphrey, and her brother, Frank Allen Goad.

A service in memory of Humphrey will be held on October 20 at 5:00 p.m. at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge, California.