Leonora Jane Bigham Sulzberger, 86, of Hampton, Virginia, died peacefully at home on January 6, 2025. Jane was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on May 5, 1938, to Leonora Camilla Groves Bigham and Franklin Rutherford Bigham. She graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1956 and from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1960. While in college, Jane met Emil Joseph "E.J." Sulzberger, Jr., who was the love of her life. They married on September 3, 1960,and moved to Lexington, Virginia, where E.J. finished his final year of law school and Jane worked as a news writer and photographer for the Rockbridge County News. After E.J.'s law school graduation, they moved to Hampton and, in 1964, built the house in Phoebus where Jane lived the rest of her life. That home was the scene for many festive Christmas Eve dinners with family and friends over the years.

After E.J.'s death in December 1990, Jane directed her boundless energy and formidable organizational skills to returning to the workplace. She found a position at Christopher Newport University as the office assistant for the LifeLong Learning Society, an organization dedicated to providing its retirement-age members opportunities to continue learning and engaging with the wider world. Jane became the Director of LLS in 1996. Over the years, she created a valued and welcoming community for many new friends and devoted members. Jane was fiercely committed to expanding course offerings and increasing membership. LLS currently has almost 600 members who can select from 53 courses for the spring semester. Jane continued to lead LLS well past retirement age, always striving to improve the experience for her members. She truly enjoyed telling people that she was still working and delighted in seeing their reactions to this surprising news.

Jane's entrepreneurial spirit was also on full display for the ten years (1976-1986) that she co-owned The Cotton Patch, Inc. Cotton Patch sold women's sportwear throughout the U.S. in retail stores and via catalogues.

For many years, Jane was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Hampton, serving as a Deacon and an Elder, and singing as an alto in the Chancel Choir. She was also a member of the Junior League of Hampton Roads, holding several leadership positions including President.

Jane cared deeply about her family and friends, tirelessly searching for the perfect birthday or Christmas present and always happy to chat on the telephone, sometimes well into the late hours of the evening. She loved vacationing on the Outer Banks with family and close friends, taking many trips there over her lifetime. Family members joined her to relax, complete puzzles, and play games. She was an avid tennis player and golfer and enjoyed triumphing over everyone in dominoes. All who loved Jane will remember her wry sense of humor, determination, and independence.

Jane is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Sulzberger (Robert DuCharme); her son, Robert Sulzberger; four grandchildren, Kyle Sulzberger, Madeline DuCharme (Sanjay Palat), Audrey Sulzberger (Brooks Monaghan), and Alice DuCharme; and three great-grandsons. She is also survived by her brother, Robert Bigham (Beverley), and many dear nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; her stepbrothers, Phelps, Richard, and Peter Pennington; and her stepsister, Ann Poovey.

Jane bravely battled cancer for the final two years of her life. Her family is tremendously grateful for the wonderful care she received from the medical professionals at Riverside, especially Jessica Cockrill, and the compassionate support she received from Riverside Hospice.

A private burial service will take place in Gettysburg in July. Friends are invited to a celebration of Jane's life, which will be held at Christopher Newport University on August 2nd at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Jane B. Sulzberger LifeLong Learning Society Director's Discretionary Account Fund at CNU.