Nondas Hurst Voll

Nondas Hurst Voll, age 90, died peacefully after a long illness on July 5, 2025

Born in New York City on June 9, 1935, Nondas was the daughter of the late D’Orsey Hurst and Anne White Hurst. She is survived by her children, Nondas Voll and partner David Ellsworth; Catherine Voll; Christopher Voll and wife Jennifer; Ellen Atkins and husband Olen and grandchildren Grace and John Voll, Finnian and Adeline Atkins. She is survived by sisters Anne Reeves, Helen Callaghan, Deborah Bailey and brother Peter Hurst.

Nondas grew up in Forest Hills, NY and Cleveland, OH. She graduated from Marymount College-Tarrytown and earned an M.A. from Fordham University. She was an editorial assistant at Harcourt Brace in Manhattan and later a high school English teacher on Long Island. After moving to Providence in 1961, she stayed home raising four children for 15 years. She became the first Director of Development and Public Relations for The Gordon School and later Director of Public Relations and Publications at Roger Williams University, then Deputy Press Secretary for Rhode Island Governor. She was Director of Communications at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA before achieving the highlight of her career as Executive Director of The Fund for Community Progress, a network of 26 nonprofit organizations advocating for peace and social justice.

A former Chair of the Board of Directors for the Nonviolence Institute, Nondas remained a longtime board member. She coordinated courses with the Lifelong Learning Collaborative and was a Steering Committee member of the R.I. Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. Earlier she chaired or served on more than 20 boards locally and nationally. A recipient of numerous awards, she was most grateful for those from the Nonviolence Institute, Leadership Rhode Island, Association of Fundraising Professionals-RI, Ignatian Volunteer Corps and YWCA Rhode Island.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the compassionate staff at Hope Hospice as well as every member of the Wingate Residences on the East Side who treated Nondas like family in her final years.

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 251 Oxford Street, Providence on Tuesday July 15th at 10am. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Nondas Hurst Voll Scholarship Fund at Rhode Island Foundation, 1 Union Station, Providence 02903 or to Nonviolence Institute, 265 Oxford Street, Providence 02905.