Nola Nies Van Oss, 96, of the Hope College Class of 1942, passed away peacefully in Exeter, NH after a brief illness. During her undergraduate years at Hope she was Campus Queen 1942, accepted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and won national honors for her oration, “The Warrior and the Woman.”

While at Hope, she met her future husband, Willis Van Oss who left the college in 1941 to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. They were married in Annapolis in June 1944 and started an exciting life in the Navy that allowed them to live in varied and exotic places from Guam to Newfoundland. After the war, Nola worked in retail, taught French and English, participated in garden clubs and even had a brief employment as a radio personality.

In retirement, Nola and Bill traveled extensively and settled in San Francisco until Bill’s passing after which she relocated to be near family in New Hampshire. Nola will always be remembered for her wry sense of humor and quick wit. She is survived by her son, daughter in law and two grand children.