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Celebrating the life of Jane Leighton Wright Goss Hicks.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 9, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, February 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Jane Leighton Wright Goss Hicks, an esteemed educator, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, and cherished member of the Norfolk community, died on October 21, 2025; and
WHEREAS, affectionately known by family and friends as “Tweeda,” Jane Hicks graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk in 1959 and married her first husband, Major Warren J. Goss, Sr., three years later; and
WHEREAS, Jane Hicks was widowed at the age of 27 following her husband's death in the Vietnam War, and with extraordinary determination and resolve, she worked tirelessly to raise her three children; and
WHEREAS, Jane Hicks later returned to school and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from Norfolk State University before teaching psychology at Tidewater Community College and Elizabeth City State University and assisting with recruitment in the Office of Student Affairs at Norfolk State University; and
WHEREAS, as a professor and administrator, Jane Hicks worked tirelessly to nurture her students' aspirations and to prepare them for success both in and out of the classroom; and
WHEREAS, Jane Hicks made immeasurable contributions to her community as a member of the Epsilon Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Norfolk State University Alumni Association, and the Norfolk chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., which she served as president; and
WHEREAS, guided by her deep and abiding faith, Jane Hicks began her spiritual journey at First Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. in Norfolk, was an active member of Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church in Norfolk for many years, and ultimately returned to her home church later in life; and
WHEREAS, preceded in death by her first husband, Warren, Sr., and her son Wendell, Jane Hicks will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by her loving husband, Edward; her children, Warren, Jr., Whitney, Lisa, and Quentin, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Jane Leighton Wright Goss Hicks, a treasured member of the Norfolk community whose light brightened countless lives; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Jane Leighton Wright Goss Hicks as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for her memory.