Obituary of Virginia B. French

Virginia Boley French died January 23rd, 2023, of natural causes in her Chapel Hill home.  She was born February 11, 1929, in Kansas City, MO to Gertrude Renshaw and James O. Boley, M.D., where her father was a general practitioner of medicine.  During WWII she moved to St. Louis, MO where her father studied pathology and she attended Jennings High School.  After two years at Central College in Fayette, MO, she attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS and graduated in 1951 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.  Following, she trained in Medical Technology at the University of Kansas in Kansas City, MO.  

In June of 1952 she married Frank S. French and moved to Rochester, NY where she worked for two years as a Medical Technologist at Highland Hospital.  In 1954 she moved to Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, then to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC where her husband served as Base Pediatrician.  The next move was to Chapel Hill, NC.  In Chapel Hill she was active in the Civil Rights Movement and was a member of the Community Church.  She regularly swam in the Bowman Grey Pool and served as a judge for the UNC men’s swim team competitions.  She was a Cub Scout Leader, teacher leader of the 4 year old class at the Community Church, and was quite well known for her homemade donuts that she passed out on Halloween.

She is survived by her husband Frank S. Sr., sons Frank Jr., his wife Sherry Wynn French, sons Earl Oliver and Jason Wynn-his wife Hannah and daughters, Terra and Tallulah; Whitney French and his children, Alexander, Helena, Christina and Eric and their families.  Also, her sister, Barbara Boley Adelman and family of St. Louis, MO.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy of North Carolina.

Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is assisting the French family.