Jane Haycock Woods

Jane Alexandra Haycock Woods passed away peacefully at her home in Fairfax, Virginia, on July 18, 2022. Jane is well known in Fairfax and in Richmond for her many years of public service and dedication to health care, especially for seniors, and for her dedication to the arts. Among her friends, she is known for her bright smile, her tenderness for those in need, her generous heart, her compassion, wisdom, kindness and humility. In her family, she is the light that remains even in death.

Jane was born on October 10, 1946, in Bethesda, Maryland, to Stephen and Ruth Haycock. She was married to James R. F. Woods from 1973 until his death in November 2000. After graduation from American University with a BA in Education, Jane taught in Fairfax County public schools for almost 20 years. Her graduate work at various universities was in education administration, law, and business administration.

From 1988 to 2000, Jane served in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate, where she chaired the Senate Committee on Education and Health. Her work in the legislature also included serving as vice chair of the Joint Commission on Health Care, as well as numerous other commissions and joint committees. From 2002 to 2006, Jane served as Secretary of Health and Human Resources in the cabinet of Governor Mark Warner, after which time she joined the College of Health and Human Services, Department for Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University, and she opened her own consulting firm, Driftwoods Consulting, LLC. In her capacity as adjunct faculty, CHHS community liaison/advisor and affiliate faculty, Jane led the work to develop a regional health information organization throughout northern Virginia, securing grant funding to launch the organization and prove the value through a medication reconciliation at a local hospital emergency department.

Jane’s extensive community service includes serving as board member and former vice chair of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board and as a board member of the Virginia Health Quality Center. She also served on the Northern Virginia Health Foundation and a National Advisory Board for Disability Services. Since 2006, Jane was a registered lobbyist for Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging and a registered lobbyist for the Virginia Association for Adult Day Health Care, as well as a registered lobbyist for more than a dozen other clients, mostly related to health and human services. Her clients included a large hospital and health care system; not-for-profit agencies and associations; a not-for-profit museum foundation; local governments; a road builders’ group; the city of Boston and FEMA; commercial developers specializing in commercial health care service construction; and a corporate leader specializing in health care systems efficiencies and integrity.

Jane also served in various ways in her local community – as a board member and officer of the City of Fairfax Band Association; as a board member and officer of Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts; as an officer of the Women’s Club of Fairfax; as a board member of the City of Fairfax Senior Center; as an appointed member of Fairfax Village in the City Advisory Board; as a member of the City of Fairfax Charter Review Commission; as a member of the Green Acres Feasibility Study committee; as a member of the Independence Day Celebration Committee; as a facilitator for American Legion Auxiliary Girls State; on the board of Fairfax United Methodist Church; as an officer of Phi Delta Kappa Working Women’s Forum; and as a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and Virginia State Association of Parliamentarians.

Among the awards that Jane has received are City of Fairfax Outstanding Woman (1986); Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Woman of the Year (1988); 2010 John Mason Arts Achievement Award; Outstanding Woman, City of Fairfax Commission for Women (1987).

Jane is predeceased by her parents, Steve and Ruth Haycock; and her brother John Haycock. She is survived by her brother Michael; sister Anne; nephew Richard/wife Jenna/children Aaron and Sean; niece Amanda; niece Hilary/husband Rob/children Gus and Ruby; nephew James Douglas/wife Heather; stepchildren William/ wife Pat, Gordon and Carol Ann/ husband Larry and their numerous children and their spouses and grandchildren.

There will be a private burial service. Memorial services will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family of Jane Woods requests contributions to the Ruth Haycock Endowed Scholarship in Piano, for a George Mason University student, https://fairfaxspotlight.ejoinme.org/ruthhaycockdonation; or The John W. Haycock Memorial Graduate Student Travel Award, for a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of California/Irvine, https://secure.give.uci.edu/donation/?COA1=007866&COA2