Bishop Iveson Noland did not know that he would be immortalized at Christ School when he sent one of his three sons here from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
John B. Noland ’64 was an eighth grader in 1959, and the five years ahead of him would be highly formative and gratifying. Which is why John stood in the lobby of Bishop Noland House in 1999, dedicating the dorm to his father’s memory.
John never forgot where he came from or who afforded him opportunities in life. He shared every success by tirelessly giving back through resources and volunteerism. John’s civic leadership and philanthropy became things of legend in Louisiana, stretching the 700-plus miles back to Arden with four decades of consecutive giving to Christ School and 23 years on the Board of Trustees.
With great sadness, we share that John passed away September 8 at his home in Highlands, North Carolina. He was 80. John's obituary can be found at this link.
John was born August 7, 1946, in Natchitoches, La., to Bishop Noland (who was Bishop of Louisiana from 1969 to 1975) and his wife, Nell, who also had two other boys, Dan and Iveson III (Butch).
John dove into everything he could as Greenie – he was Verger his senior year, a four-sport athlete (baseball, basketball, football, and soccer), and involved in drama, the Christ School News newspaper, and Angelus yearbook.
He then matriculated to UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, earning a B.S. in Business Administration before studying law at LSU. After 15 years as a lawyer, John branched out into business. Noland Investments had stakes in things such as automotive dealerships, cell phones, oil, gas, and banking. He co-founded the All-Star Automotive Group, which became one of the largest automotive groups in Louisiana. John was a valued member of boards in the Baton Rouge community and beyond, including Coca-Cola United.
John remained a faithful Greenie through it all. He was Board President from 1998 to 2000 and has been a Trustee Emeritus since 2009. John was an Honorary Chairman of Christ School's last capital campaign.
John was preceded in death by his parents and older brother, Butch. He is survived by his wife, Virginia W’64, and their two children, John B. Noland Jr. and Scott Hickson (her spouse is James). Grandchildren are John B. Noland III and Fairfax Noland, and Nell and Wingate Hickson. John's brother, Dan, is married to Pat, and he has another sister-in-law, Judy Noland.
Christ School will honor and remember John as well as others who have passed during Alumni Weekend's memorial service on September 26 in St. Joseph's Chapel at 9 a.m.