Virginia “Noni” DeLugan, 100, of Lee, died Wednesday, January 8, surrounded by family and friends at her bedside. She was born in West Stockbridge on October 22, 1924, the daughter of Louis and Mary Frana Tognalli. She was educated in Lee schools, graduating from Lee High School in 1942. She studied Social Services policy at UMass Evening Division.
As a young girl, her family purchased the Belden Tavern in East Lee. There she and her sisters learned the values of hard work, good food, music, dancing, and enjoyed the camaraderie of family and friends. Noni met her husband of 50 years, Louis “Gigi,” at the tavern. They shared amazing adventures and love until his death in 1997.

Virginia started her career as an accountant and welfare director for the Town of Lee. She was employed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a supervisor in the Pittsfield Welfare Office and later as director of the Great Barrington Office.
Noni recognized the value of good times. An avid golfer, she won many tournaments in the county and achieved the all-time record at Greenock Country Club as ladies club champion for 15 years. Traveling across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Scandinavia was a passion she shared with her husband and their friends. Her love of reading led her to volunteer as a reader for Recording for the Blind.
Virginia cherished her faith and commitment to her church. She spent many hours in community participation for Perpetual Adoration in the chapel at St. Mary’s Church.
Besides her husband Louis and parents, Noni is predeceased by her sisters, Angelina “Tootie” Zaccaria and Josephine “Teete” Scarafoni; her beloved great-niece Angela; her nephew Joe; and her longtime friends, Betty and Arlene. She is survived by her nieces, Jeanne, Nancy, Susan, and JoAnn; her nephews, Michael, Steven, and Patrick; and several great-nieces and nephews whose lives she enriched. She also leaves behind her good friend Janice.
She celebrated her 100th birthday in October with 100 friends at Greenock Country Club. It was a celebration that meant a lot to her and those attending.
A Mass to celebrate Virginia’s life will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Lee, at 10 a.m., on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Following Mass, she will be laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cemetery, which is within chipping range of Greenock Country Club’s third hole. In lieu of flowers, Noni has requested donations be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or St. Mary’s School in Lee directly or in care of the Roche Funeral Home, 120 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240. To share memories and stories, please visit the funeral home’s website.