Jane V. Stephens

March 17, 1940 - April 22, 2017

Sarah Jane Virtue Stephens, age 77, a resident of West 7th Street in Columbia, passed away Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Maury Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services will be Saturday, May 6th at 2:30 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, TN officiated by Father Chris Bowhay and Father Tom Wilson.  Visitation with the family will precede the services at 1:00 p.m.  A private family interment will be at St. John’s Church, Ashwood.  Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Born on March 17, 1940 to Roy and Wanessa Virtue, Jane spent the majority of her childhood in Sheffield, Alabama, graduating from Sheffield High School in 1957.  A talented artist, Jane channeled her creative abilities into a B.A. in Commercial Art from the University of Alabama in 1961 and a Masters in Clothing and Textiles in 1963.  In later years, she also earned a degree in Interior Design from Watkins Institute in Nashville.

In September of 1963, Jane married John L. Stephens, a union that has lasted over 53 years.  A year and a half later, Jane began her most rewarding and cherished job: mother to Amy, Jennifer, and Eric.  Though they moved several times, Jane always left her mark wherever they lived.  In Monroe, Louisiana, under Jane’s guidance as committee chairman, the Jr. League’s Cotton Country Cookbook was so successful that the publishing company used it in their training to teach other groups how to publish and market their own projects.  Jane was an active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood (a philanthropic educational organization for women) for over forty-four years.  She became president of P.E.O. Chapter E in Nashville, and then rose to become Tennessee State Chapter President for 2009-2010.  After moving to Columbia, Jane proudly served as president of the Maury County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.  She was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for almost thirty years, serving as co-chairman of the outreach committee for some of that time.

Curious, intelligent, and well-read, Jane loved to travel, visiting twenty-five European countries and forty-nine states, with only Hawaii remaining to be explored.  She had a deep love of classical music and enjoyed adding to her collection of hundreds of angels of all types.

Jane is survived by her husband: John Stephens of Columbia; children: Amy Stephens of Nashville, TN, Jennifer (Bert) della Gatta of Belmont, CA, and Eric Stephens of Queens, NY; grandchildren: John Sebastian della Gatta and Griffin Beck della Gatta; and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Jane was preceded in death by her sister, Susanna Virtue Tomlinson.

If so moved, in lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to the P.E.O. Foundation, Chapter E, 1440 Wexford Downs Lane, Nashville, TN 37211.