In Memory of Jane Crofford

By Leslie Crofford

Jane Crofford of Nashville, TN and Melbourne, AR died at age 90 on August 9, 2024. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Oscar Crofford, three children, six grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. Although Jane was an exceptional athlete throughout her life, opportunities in sport were limited in her childhood home of Hartselle, Alabama. After she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to complete her degree in nursing, she raised her children and began playing tennis. She taught all her children to play and they all played local and regional junior tennis. Jane became well known to all the “tennis kids” of the time as director of most, if not all, the junior tournaments held in Nashville. As her children grew, she began taking her tennis more seriously and came onto the national scene in the early 1970s. She was an exceptionally skilled doubles player, winning USTA titles on all surfaces. Overall, she won 48 USTA singles and doubles senior women’s titles. She was a founding member of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association and was proud to represent the United States in international competition including the Esther Maria Bueno Cup (1985-1988), which was undefeated, the Connolly Cup (1992,1993), and the Alice Marble Cup (1994,1995). She was 1986 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Co-Amateur of the Year, 1988 World Tennis Magazine Outstanding Senior Player, and was inducted into the Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993. She was president of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Association (now the National Women’s Tennis Organization) from 1983-1985. Jane loved her extended tennis family, especially all of the incredible women of senior tennis.