Jeanne Hoff Nolley

Jeanne H. Nolley died peacefully in the early morning of February 16th , 2024 at her beloved home in Richmond Virginia. Born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, the eldest child of Helen Czubiak Hoff and Acy Webster Hoff, she graduated as Valedictorian from Pitcairn High School, receiving the American Legion of Merit Award for her leadership and concern for others, qualities that marked her entire life. After receiving her nursing degree, in 1952 she went on to attend the Air Force officer flight nurse program in 1952, again graduating at the top of her class with honors. She had a deep desire to travel the world - the US Air Force and the Korean War had for her other plans. She reluctantly traded her recently acquired flight wings for a ground assignment, managing a large orthopedic surgical nursing unit for the then USAF Chief Orthopedic Surgeon Colonel R.W. Augustine at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery Alabama. Her research efforts there with the chief surgeon, presented to great interest at numerous medical symposiums and conferences, led to her work receiving national recognition from allied medical professionals and consultants to the Air Force Surgeon General. During her service there, she was selected by the Air Force to play the leading role in the film entitled, Because She Was There. This documentary, commercially produced in New York, recruited nurses for flight training and aired for nearly a decade on television throughout the U.S. She was also the recipient of the American Legion Merit Award. Encouraged by her commanding surgeon to pursue a career in surgical medicine - Lieutenant Hoff had other plans. In the spring of 1954, she moved to Richmond following her marriage to John Robert Nolley, Jr. Upon arrival there, she returned to nursing for several years at Richmond Memorial Hospital. While her family grew, Jeanne became an active advocate for the arts in the Richmond community serving in various volunteer capacities in many local and regional organizations, including The Boys Club of Richmond, the Virginia Educational Television Corporation/PBS, and the Richmond Symphony. During this time, she befriended a number of women in the community, a small group which regularly met over their shared interests in the performing arts. Together, they agreed Richmond deserved a regional ballet corps with professionally trained teachers, world famous performing guest stars and a ballet school. After years of collaborative effort, she was appointed to the post of chairman of the Council of The Richmond Ballet. Slowly, community support grew as the company and school emerged, and the civic company that began 1957 was ultimately founded as the professional company – The Richmond Ballet - in 1984. Today, Richmond Ballet continues its mission to transform the world through the power of dance by training and presenting dancers of all ages as ultimate artists and athletes. For years, she cherished her leadership role in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Council Shop and was once described as “the dynamo” of The VMFA Council. She served on the Women’s Board of the Boy’s Club of Richmond and the United Way, organizing fundraising and community events. She was finance chairman of The Tuckahoe Woman’s Club and was an organizer of the Village Green Fair at The Collegiate Schools, and chair of its remarkable auction while her husband served as auctioneer! For a number of years, she directed Collegiate’s Book Fair, an annual event that connected students with local authors and bookstore owners. She also taught as a volunteer at First Presbyterian Church. Like her husband, she was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, The Air Force Association, and was a member of The Richmond Cotillion, the Virginia Creepers and Soixante Plus. A memorial service will be held on Friday March 8th at 3 PM, First Presbyterian Church, 4600 Cary Street Rd. with a family burial service at Hollywood Cemetery. She is preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, John Robert Nolley, Jr., and is survived by two sons J.Robert Nolley III, and his wife Jaquelin Conrad Nolley of Richmond; Scott Webster Nolley, of Washington DC, a daughter, Catherine Nolley Triantis and her husband Alexander Triantis of Bethesda, MD; She adored watching her children’s families grow with the addition of Sophia Marie Triantis of Cambridge MA and William Stephen Triantis of Bethesda MD; J. Robert Nolley IV, of Richmond, Mary Alexander Tolton, her husband Samuel James Tolton and their son George Allen Tolton of Richmond; and often spoke with wonder and gratitude in the birth of her great granddaughter Virginia Rose Nolley. Jeanne was predeceased by a sister, Helen Mae Hoff, and leaves behind her sister Mary Ann Galloro of Sun City, CA., and brother Paul Walter Hoff of Bedford, NH. The family would like to express its immense gratitude to the caregivers of the firm Comfort Keepers and to the nurses and staff of At Home Care and Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests that memorial gifts may be made to The School of the Richmond Ballet.