Chris R. Boli

Chris R. Boli, 83, of Chapel Hill, NC, passed away peacefully on June 10, 2026.

Chris was born September 22, 1942, in Greenville, OH, to Bernard and Helen Ream Boli. He graduated from Piqua Central High School, Class of 1960, before earning his Bachelor’s degree in Geology at Purdue University and joining the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. After completing his service, he returned to Purdue to earn a Master's degree in Agronomy. Because he deeply loved his time in Sierra Leone, he moved back to work for Sierra Rutile Ltd. for 22 years. In 1994, the escalation of the Sierra Leone Civil War forced Chris and his colleagues to escape the country. He relocated to Piqua to care for his father until his father's passing, later moving to Chapel Hill to be closer to the rest of his family. Chris followed one of his true passions by volunteering as an Assistant Roadmaster, Brakeman, and Board Member with the New Hope Valley Railway until he could no longer walk the rails.

Chris is survived by his sister, Susan Phillippi (William); his niece, Jennifer Norris (Jon); his great-nephew, Jackson Norris; and his late niece’s husband, Louis DeLozier, as well as many cousins and extended relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; his niece, Andrea Thomas; and his brother-in-law, Jon Thomas.

A scattering of ashes will take place in the fall. Donations sent to the NC Railway Museum, P.O. Box 40, New Hill, NC 27562, in Chris’s memory are appreciated.