Jane Stanton Hitchcock, an American mystery novelist and avid poker player, passed away at the age of 78, leaving her family and loved ones devastated.
The news of her passing was announced by 2021 WSOP Ladies Event champion Lara Eisenberg on Twitter, while she didn’t reveal the cause of her death.
The post reads:
“Today we lost Jane Hitchcock, a truly wonderful, brilliant, talented, kind, and generous friend. So full of life, wit, and humor. Grateful to have such wonderful memories with her both on and off the poker tables. Hope there are some fantastic poker games up there for you, Jane!”
Lara Eisenberg
Jane Hitchcock was a well-known poker player at East Coast stops, including Maryland Live! and MGM National Harbor. Throughout her journey as an avid poker player, Jane earned around $289,471 from tournaments.
Today we lost Jane Hitchcock, a truly wonderful, brilliant, talented, kind & generous friend. So full of life, wit and humor. Grateful to have such wonderful memories with her both on and off the poker tables. Hope there are some fantastic poker games up there for you, Jane!💔 pic.twitter.com/NofejD0Mnf
— Lara Eisenberg (@eisen009) June 23, 2025
Her career-high earnings include $57,645 for finishing second in the 2022 Venetian DeepStack Championship Series Event #103: $800 NLH Monster Stack.
In addition to her poker-playing journey, Jane Hitchcock won the hearts of millions with her amazing mystery novels, including Trick of the Eye, The Witches’ Hammer, Social Crimes, Bluff, and many more.
Her renowned book Bluff won the 2019 Hammett Prize.
Furthermore, Jane Hitchcock’s demise has left a profound void in the lives of her fans, family, and loved ones.
Many of her loved ones are sending heartfelt prayers to her family during this difficult time and recalling the memories of Jane Hitchcock.
Katie Stone, co-founder of USAChess and founder of Grindettes, wrote,
“Rest in Peace, Jane. She was always a pleasure to chat with at the table and she sure did love poker”
Another added:
“Rest in Paradise Jane! I loved when she patronized MGM when I ran tournaments there. It was always a pleasure! Once she started Day 2 in a 250K with the shortest chip stack. Probably 17 BBs. She ran hella deep and finished 3rd or 4th. I always told her I wanted her to bink it! 🙏🏿”
Christopher Edmonds
Jane Hitchcock was preceded in death by her longtime husband, Jim Hoagland, a well-known American journalist and two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
The couple tied the knot on July 14, 1995, and were happily married for almost three decades until Jim’s demise on November 4, 2024.
Jane’s husband, Jim Hoagland, passed away at the age of 84 from a stroke in Washington.
Before Jim Hoagland, Jane Hitchcock was married to William Mellon Hitchcock, a financier, for almost two decades. Jane and William tied the knot in 1975 and separated in 1991. She also adopted his last name.
Jane Hitchcock’s Husband, Jim Hoagland, Served As A Journalist For Six Decades
Jim was born as Jimmie Lee Hoagland on January 22, 1940, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, to parents Lee Roy Hoagland Jr. and Edith Irene Sullivan began his journalism journey in 1958.
He initially served as a part-time reporter for the Rock Hill Evening News while pursuing his bachelor’s in journalism at the University of South Carolina.
Similarly, after graduating from USC and earning his postgraduate degree from the University of Aix-en-Provence, he worked as a copy editor for The New York Times from 1964 to 1966, before joining The Washington Post.
While at The Washington Post, he served as a foreign correspondent, first in Nairobi as a correspondent in Africa from 1969 to 1972 and later in Beirut from 1972 to 1975.
In 1976, Hoagland moved to Paris, France, where he covered France, Italy, and Spain in his internationally syndicated column until returning to the United States in 1978.
Jane’s longtime husband, Jim, won his first Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1971 for his coverage of the struggle against apartheid in the Republic of South Africa, which he wrote for The Washington Post, for which he was subsequently banned from entering South Africa.
In 1991, he won his second Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for searching and prescient columns on events leading up to the Gulf War and on the political problems of Mikhail Gorbachev.
Throughout his six-decade-long career as a journalist, Jim Hoagland won several honors and won the hearts of millions.
Jane Hitchcock And Jim Hoagland Are Survived By Two Kids And Grandchildren
Jane Hitchcock was a proud stepmother to her husband Jim Hoagland’s two children — son Lee Clayton Hoagland and daughter Lily Hoagland — whom Jim shared with his former wife, American journalist Elizabeth Becker.
Both of their kids, Lee and Lily Hoagland, are excelling in their respective careers.
RIP Jim Hoagland (1940-2024). He played a crucial role in keeping the cause of overthrowing the Ba'ath regime Iraq viable in America. A kind man. A true professional throughout. pic.twitter.com/tWSh4hHy6L
— Nibras Kazimi (@ImaraWaTijara) November 8, 2024
Their son, Lee Hoagland, is an owner and photographer at Lee Hoagland Photography in New York, United States. He has been successfully running his photography business since 2015.
Earning his Bachelor’s degree in photography from Columbia College Chicago in 2007, Lee began his career working as a new media photographer and organizing fellow at Barack Obama for America.
He further continued his journey as the assistant to Nick Papadopoulous and director of VII International for VII Photography, before becoming a photo editor in Paris, France.
Lee also served as the Photographer of Getty Reportage for over a year and as a general assignment photographer for The National News in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where he worked for five years.
Likewise, their daughter, Lily Hoagland, has followed in the footsteps of her late father, Jim, and is pursuing a career in Journalism.
Lily has been serving as the data specialist of The Associated Press in New York since 2020.
Prior to that, she served as the Executive Editor of Quest Magazine for almost four years and as associate research editor of Vanity Fair for three years.
She also worked as a communications manager at Trace International Inc., Public Policy and Advocacy for the Girl Scouts of the USA, and as an editorial intern at The Economist.
Lily earned her Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies from Augsburg University and a Master of Science in Data Journalism from Columbia University. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Joan A. Stanton Foundation—also known as the Hitchcock Hoagland Foundation—in Washington, D.C.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Jane Stanton Hitchcock was born Jane Johnston Crowley on November 24, 1946, to Robert Crowley and Joan Crowley.
- Her father, Robert, was a surgeon, and her mother, Joan, professionally known as Joan Alexander, was an actress known for playing Lois Lane on the radio serial The Adventures of Superman.
