WILMINGTON — Vivian Conly, 76, of Wilmington, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2026. She was born October 24, 1949, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to Hobart and Nancy Swan.
Vivian lived a full and active life shaped by family, creativity, community, and a genuine curiosity about the world around her. She spent many years in West Virginia, where she built a beautiful home and a life that included canoeing, kayaking, biking, and skiing with her family.
Vivian’s most significant professional legacy was her tenure as Executive Director of Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, where she helped transform a struggling historic institution into a thriving center for arts and culture in West Virginia. She also worked at The Greenbrier in sales and later as a community liaison, served on the Lewisburg City Council, and remained involved in civic and political causes throughout her life.
Art was a constant for Vivian. She created mosaics, painted and decorated wooden bowls and furniture, and was always experimenting with something new. She also had a lifelong appreciation for music and shared her love of the arts with her family.
In retirement, Vivian traveled extensively and continued to seek out new places and experiences. She lived in various places in California and North Carolina, building friendships along the way that stretched across the country. She remained active, independent, and engaged with the people and world around her.
Vivian had a quick wit, a beautiful smile, strong opinions, and an unmistakable personality. She loved her family and took particular joy in being a grandmother.
She is survived by her daughter, Amy Koh and her husband, Andrew Koh; her son, Drew Conly and his wife, KC Cox; her grandchildren, Sam, Pearl, and Maeve; and her siblings, Joanne Hogg, Karen Layton, Hobart Swan, and Tim Swan.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hobart and Nancy Swan, and her husband, Samuel S. Conly.
Vivian leaves behind a family and a wide circle of friends, the art she created, communities she contributed to, and a lasting legacy in the cultural life of West Virginia. She will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.
