From the Racquet Club of Philadelphia:
Edward Noll
1950 – 2015
It is with great sadness that our Club mourns the passing of one of the most beloved men to ever serve the membership. Edward Noll departed this world the morning of Thursday December 17th, though his legacy lives on having been weaved into the memories of our members. In his youth, Ed studied under the tutelage of Jimmy Dunn and made a modest living sewing tennis balls and stringing racquets . Through the unprecedented coaching of his mentor, Ed developed into a phenomenal court tennis player. By the mid 1970’s he had won the U.S. Open Doubles Championship and was also a U.S. Open Singles Finalist.
In 1980, Ed was offered the Head Pro position here at The Racquet Club and served as such until he accepted the role as General Manager in 1998. As the Head Pro, Ed mentored several court tennis champions including Barney Tanfield, Morris Clothier, and our own Robbie Whitehouse. During that time, he was also inducted into the International Court Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000. During his tenure as General Manager, Ed developed the Summer Membership program, converted the Club’s squash courts to international standards, and created a membership program with NYR&T that vastly increased the Non-Resident membership.
Although he was an accomplished athlete and a highly respected leader, Ed’s greatest skill was his ability to create long lasting relationships with the staff and members of The Racquet Club that lasted for decades.
Ed Noll is survived by his son and current member Mike Noll, Michelle Lemma, and Jimmy Noll. The Noll family invites members who had the privilege of knowing Ed to attend the memorial services:
Monday, December 21st – Viewing
6pm – 8pm
McIlvaine Funeral Home
3711 Midvale Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19129
Tuesday, December 22nd
8:30am – 9:30am – Viewing
10am – 11am – Mass
St. Bridget’s Church
3667 Midvale Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19129
