Jane Goodman Riggs

Jane Bowling Goodman Riggs, born January 27, 1942, in New Haven, Kentucky, to Raphael and Nancy Bowling, passed away September 3, 2026. She was a woman of deep faith, boundless warmth, and a lifelong dedication to the children she taught and the family she loved.

Jane was a graduate of St. Catherine High School in New Haven, Kentucky and Spalding University in Louisville, where she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching.

Jane devoted forty years to elementary education, shaping young minds first at Resurrection Catholic School and later with Jefferson County Public Schools, where she finished her distinguished career at Gilmore Lane Elementary. Her classrooms were places where children knew they were seen, valued, and cared for -- a reflection of the woman and generous heart, a light in every room.

At her retirement celebration in 2004, colleague Mary Vise wrote a poem about Jane. Here is a portion of that poem.

Her classroom was truly a special place,

Where children loved to learn.

To this very day one can easily trace

Her influence, a jewel in her crown she should earn.

A faithful Catholic, Jane was an active and beloved member of St. Barnabas Catholic Church and School, where her daughters received their grade school education. She remained connected to the faith community both at St. Barnabas Parish and later at the newly formed St. John Paul II Parish.

Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Raphael and Nancy Bowling; her first husband, Joseph Goodman; and her brothers, Thomas Bowling and Joseph Bowling, M.D.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 27 years, James Patrick Riggs; her eight sisters: Sarah Bowling (Bill), Agnes Jury (Fred), Frances Wirth (Charles), Lucille Bowling, Louise Morgan, Elizabeth Johnson (Kenny), Virginia Flannery, and Nancy Thompson (Jeff); her two daughters, Susan Givens (Matt) of Glasgow, Kentucky, and Carol Combs (Brian) of Nashville, Tennessee; stepdaughter Becky Richardson (Bob) of Clearwater, Florida, and stepson Stephen Goodman (Rebecca) of Asheville, North Carolina; plus stepdaughters Julie Riggs-Johnson (Jason) and Amy Riggs of Louisville; plus stepson Michael Riggs (Michelle) of Louisville; ten grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Jane will be remembered for her infectious smile and her kind, generous heart, the light in every room she entered and in every life she touched. The family is especially grateful for the care of the staff at Belmont Village Senior Living and Hosparus Health of Louisville and Southern Indiana.

Visitation will be from 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm Wednesday, September 9, at Arch L. Heady at Resthaven funeral home, 4400 Bardstown Road.

Her funeral mass will be celebrated 11:00 am Thursday, September 10, at St. John Paul II Catholic Church, 3525 Goldsmith Lane, with burial at Resthaven Memorial Park, 4400 Bardstown Road.

Expressions of sympathy can be made to Alzheimer's Association Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana. (https://www.alz.org/kyin)