In Memory: Lee A. Neal, 1919-2012
Today was the visitation for Mr. Neal, an old family friend from the Louisville days. He died last Friday, June 8, at age 93.
Mr. Neal was a carpenter, gardener, tinkerer, and was the neighborhood's resident ornery old man; with a big heart and a love of life. He and his wife were the sort of people you'd stop in and chat with when you were out riding your bike on a summer's day. He was always out in his garden, or fiddling with his workshop. I still have the framed cougar woodcarvings that he made for me back in the day, along with the mantle clock he made for me.
He taught me how to solve those little golf-tee puzzles you see at Cracker Barrel. He also taught me how to say the alphabet backwards even faster than saying it forwards. And he taught me through example about living a life of quiet dignity and decency. I can only hope to be as good a husband to Kat as he was to his Mary.
He was also a World War II vet. He never spoke of his time in Europe, other than when he gave me a few French and German banknotes that he'd picked up over there. He had to have seen things no one needed to see as he earned 3 Bronze Stars in the hedgerows of Normandy and then at Bastogne...the one time he tried to tell my dad about the war, he broke down, and nothing more was ever said.
He would've loved to see the small "old neighborhood" reunion at the viewing today. If there is an afterlife, I'd like to imagine him taking time out from hugging his wife for the first time in 15 years to smile down on us one last time.
Mr. Neal was a carpenter, gardener, tinkerer, and was the neighborhood's resident ornery old man; with a big heart and a love of life. He and his wife were the sort of people you'd stop in and chat with when you were out riding your bike on a summer's day. He was always out in his garden, or fiddling with his workshop. I still have the framed cougar woodcarvings that he made for me back in the day, along with the mantle clock he made for me.
He taught me how to solve those little golf-tee puzzles you see at Cracker Barrel. He also taught me how to say the alphabet backwards even faster than saying it forwards. And he taught me through example about living a life of quiet dignity and decency. I can only hope to be as good a husband to Kat as he was to his Mary.
He was also a World War II vet. He never spoke of his time in Europe, other than when he gave me a few French and German banknotes that he'd picked up over there. He had to have seen things no one needed to see as he earned 3 Bronze Stars in the hedgerows of Normandy and then at Bastogne...the one time he tried to tell my dad about the war, he broke down, and nothing more was ever said.
He would've loved to see the small "old neighborhood" reunion at the viewing today. If there is an afterlife, I'd like to imagine him taking time out from hugging his wife for the first time in 15 years to smile down on us one last time.