Virginia Elizabeth Hollo

Ginny Hollo, née Virginia Elizabeth Pelly Fry, was born on February 19, 1941, in Colombo, Sri Lanka (then colonial Ceylon), where she was raised to be a Proper English Young Lady by Jo, Holly, Arthur, Vera, Kitty, Charlie, and, most of all, Nanny (no last names; it's just too complicated). Between the ages of 8 and 18, she spent much of her time traveling, often by herself, between Beresford House boarding school in Eastbourne, holidays with grandparents in Sussex, parents and stepparents at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, and visits with half- and stepsisters Jenny, Susan, and Penny. She attended secretarial school in Switzerland before moving to the United States at age 21, where she lived with Jo and Holly in Jackson, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama. She soon met her true love, Ferko, the Penniless Hungarian Refugee, and never looked back.

Ginny and Ferko moved to Montreal and then Île Bélair, growing their family with the births of their two children whom she completely adored (Chris and Alex) and the first of what would be many beloved pets. The foursome eventually moved to Fairfax, Virginia, and then Nashville, Tennessee, around 1970. During this time, Ginny came into her own, finally declaring that she was not really interested in being Proper or a World Traveler. She was determined to stay put and put down roots. For the next 50 years, Ginny did exactly that. In the early Nashville years, Ginny built a home and a successful typesetting business with her husband, developed lifelong friendships with some amazing women (Sheila, Felicity, Nancy, and Edie), and was a truly exceptional mother, mother-in-law (Catherine), and aunt (Andie, Ritchie, Heath, Tracy, Guy, Sophie, Sasha, Terri, and Brandi). She especially loved being a grandmother to Ian and Marcus, telling them stories and teaching them about nature.

Throughout her life, Ginny was quietly determined and, as it turned out, incredibly resilient. When her beloved husband died dramatically and far too young in 1992, she created an entirely new life for herself that included new jobs, new friends (Ginna and the Deep Enders), new pets, and new hobbies. In every chapter of her life, Ginny was warm, nurturing, kind, creative, and unfailingly supportive. She truly embodied gratitude and modeled grace and loving kindness as a parent, friend, and teacher. Even after losing so much of her physical and cognitive capacity to a devastating stroke in November 2020, and even after leaving the home, garden, and community she had worked so hard to build, she never lost her core self or her sense of humor. She spent the last six years of her life in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she continued to make sure everyone around her, from caregivers and staff to family and friends, knew how much she loved and appreciated them. It was a gift.

Ginny passed away peacefully on November 1, 2026, with her children, Alex and Chris, by her side. She will be deeply missed. There are no services planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, TN or to UNICEF. 

Hastings Funeral Home is in charge of cremation arrangements. 

Send condolences online at hastingsfuneralhome.com