Virginia PTA

Virginia PTA

Past Virginia PTA President 1979-1981 Passes Away

Mary Janet (Campbell) Alley died Sept. 30, 2005 in Virginia Beach. She was the daughter of the late Helen Jones and Robert Louis Campbell of Williamsburg and Yorktown. Born Sept. 26, 1926, in Hagerstown, Md., she lived in the Peninsula area until 1948 when she married the late Lofton H. Alley of Richmond. She traveled Europe and Japan as an Army wife and mother before settling in Chester, Va., in 1960. A graduate of "The College" (The College of William and Mary in Virginia, of course), she was always quite proud of her alma mater where she was a devoted member of Chi Omega and earned a degree in political science in 1947. In her usual "tongue-in-cheek" style her degree was proudly hung over the washing machine in the laundry room. She began a long and distinguished career as a professional volunteer in the Red Cross while still in Europe and then for 40 years in the United States. In the early 50s she began her long career with the PTA while still in Germany. Her PTA career spanned some 30 years in which she held many offices, from local unit president at C.E. Curtis Elementary School in Chester to district director for Chesterfield to Regional Vice-President, Virginia State President and National Vice-President. She told many humorous stories of her escapades with her PTA buddies, as well as with such dignitaries as Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush and several Virginia governors. She capped her career in PTA as a lobbyist in the Virginia General Assembly, a role she took quite seriously and enjoyed immensely. She also enjoyed many years of affiliation with the Richmond SPCA, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chester, and the Diocese of Southern Virginia. Always an advocate of children and pets, she is survived by her sons, a daughter, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Robert Campbell Alley of Maryland and his wife Harriet Stout, Lofton Holdsworth Alley Jr. and his wife Elisabeth of Chaing Mai, Thailand and Charles Lenier Alley and his wife Sarah Russell of Durham, N.C., the Rev. Marguerite C. Alley of Virginia Beach; her four grandchildren, Nicholas Holdsworth Alley, Madonna Dell’Olio, Marguerite Ruth Alley and Lofton Pieter Li Alley; as well as four great- grandchildren, Cecilia, Corinna, Helena and Anson Alley. The family should also include the many people unofficially adopted by Janet and of course, Louie the cat. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. John’s Episcopal Church, Chester. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Red Cross, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Virginia PTA or the Richmond SPCA. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com.