John Robert Nolley Jr.

Nolley served 29 years in public affairs and advertising for Continental Financial, and its affiliate, The Life Insurance Company of Virginia, directing these corporate activities for both companies. Following early retirement in 1984, he directed the first major land preservation campaign in Virginia for The Nature Conservancy. From 1986 until 1995, he had been a marketing and communications consultant.

A native of Richmond, he was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and was regimental commander of the Corps of Cadets. Following graduation from The Virginia Military Institute, he attended the University of Richmond's Graduate School of Business. He was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity (V.M.I., Beta Commission 1952). Nolley had been an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1969, and a former director of the Old Dominion Chapter of PRSA.

Active in many community areas, he served as a director of Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Hospital, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College and as a trustee of the college's foundation from 1983 until 1991. He was a director and later a trustee of the Boys' Club of Richmond, a director and chairman of the Virginia Council on Economic Education, and a director of Virginia Educational Television Corporation and chairman of WCVE's PBS community advisory board. He was a trustee of The Collegiate Schools and the Virginia College Fund and was vice chairman of the Richmond Capitol Area's March of Dimes. In 1986, he was appointed by Governor Charles Robb to serve as the then Third Congressional District member of the Virginia Telecommunications Board, a position he served in until 1994, after re-appointment by Governor Douglas Wilder. He was chairman of the communications committee and a member of the marketing committee of the Metropolitan Economic Development Council from 1979 until 1994. He served two terms as a director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, chairing the communications and cultural affairs committees and a communications task force in 1984-85. He also served as the public relations vice chairman and a special gifts chairman of the United Way of Greater Richmond. He was a director of the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross, and served on the boards of The Richmond Symphony, Richmond Metropolitan YMCA, the Better Business Bureau of Richmond, Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, New Virginia Review, Family and Children's Services of Richmond, the National Tobacco Festival and the Henricus Foundation.

A past president of the Advertising Club of Richmond, he later served as a Virginia Governor and Third District Governor of the American Advertising Federation, and was named one of its "Advertising Men of the Year" in 1970. He was an associate member of the Virginia Press Association.Active in insurance industry organizations, Nolley was a past president and life member of the Insurance & Financial Communicators Association, an international organization of the industry's public affairs, advertising, and editorial professionals. He was a long-term member of the public relations council and public affairs policy committee of the American Council of Life Insurance, andserved on that organization's committee on anti-inflation in 1979-81. He also served as a member of the public relations policy committee of the Health Insurance Institute. In the mid-1960's he served as chairman of the advertising committee for the Virginia/North Carolina 65 Health Insurance Association, a group of ninety of the industry's insurance companies offering health coverage to people over age 65.

Following active military duty with the Air Rescue Service of the Air Force during the Korean conflict, he continued to serve for 25 years in the Air Force Reserves primarily in assignments in Washington, D.C., retiring as a Colonel in 1985. His decorations included the Legion of Merit. He served as the senior Air Force representative and later as public affairs chairman for the Virginia Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

He was a member, a former deacon and president of the Men of the Church at First Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, The Air Force Association, and had been a member of The Richmond Cotillion, the Virginia Creepers and Soixante Plus.

Nolley is survived by his wife, Jeanne Hoff Nolley; two sons, John Robert Nolley III of Richmond; and Scott Webster Nolley of Washington DC, a daughter, Mrs. Catherine N. Triantis of Chevy Chase, MD, a brother William Tolar Nolley of Richmond; three grandchildren: John Robert Nolley IV, Sophia Marie Triantis and William Stephen Triantis; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is scheduled for noon, January 20th at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va.

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. The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the V.M.I. Foundation, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, Va. 24450, or to the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 26924,Richmond, VA.