Mrs. Sara Nottingham Goffigon, 91, of Pickett’s Harbor (Cape Charles), widow of Francis Cooke Goffigon, died July 4, 2024. Born Aug. 14, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Virginia Chandler Nottingham and the late Leonard Thomas Nottingham.
Sara attended high school at Fairfax Hall in Waynesboro and then attended college at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg before marrying in 1951 and starting a family. After moving to Richmond in 1962, she later enrolled and graduated from Richmond Professional Institute in 1967, after which she began a career in education. She taught at Douglas S. Freeman High School in Richmond until moving to the Eastern Shore in 1971. She then joined the faculty at Broadwater Academy in Exmore, where she taught for 33 years. During her tenure at Broadwater, “Mrs. Goffigon” developed a reputation as a demanding teacher with high expectations. For many, she was a major influencer in their lives.
Sara and her husband also operated Pickett’s Harbor Bed and Breakfast until 2006. In a past interview, she expressed her love for her homestead. “There is not much private beach on the East Coast, and we’re hidden in the woods and have the beach, so there is a nice serenity here. People will come out here and say ‘How in the world did you find this place?’ I laugh, because we didn’t find it, we just grew up here.”
Her family has deep roots on the Eastern Shore. In the 17th century, her ancestors, the Nottinghams, were granted a large parcel of land by the King of England. The land has been passed down, generation by generation. “We certainly have enjoyed it,” she said.
She will be remembered for her devotion to her work and her passions for gardening, swimming, and walking. During the early years of her retirement, she would awake before the crack of dawn, drive 45 minutes to the YMCA in Onley three days a week, swim for an hour, and then return home for gardening and other chores. When the opportunity arose, she became a proponent and supporter of the YMCA branch in Cape Charles. Throughout life, she remained actively engaged in the lives of her family and friends and enjoyed following the accomplishments of her former students.
She is survived by her five children, Sarah Goffigon Chandler (Scott), Francis Cooke Goffigon Jr. (Nancy), Thomas Nottingham Goffigon, Margaret Goffigon Widgen (Johnny), and Haley Cooke Goffigon; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Riordan (Mike), Dixon Leatherbury, Turner Widgen, Carter Goffigon (Tim), Ethan Goffigon, and Owen Goffigon; and two great-grandchildren, Sally and Bobby Riordan. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Bonnie Nottingham.
Services were held at Holmes Presbyterian Church in Bayview on Saturday, July 13, at 11 a.m. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, remembrances and tribute gifts be made to Broadwater Academy, P.O. Box 546, Exmore, VA 23350.
Arrangements are by Fox Funeral Home in Temperanceville.
