Alfred R McNeely

Born in Greenville, the son of Annie E. Folker and John W. McNeely and one of five brothers, he was a graduate of Greenville High School and a 1957 graduate of Furman University. At Furman, which he attended on a full journalism scholarship, he was editor of the student newspaper, a member of Blue Key National Honor Society, TKE social fraternity and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

In the late 1950s, he was an intelligence specialist with a missile unit of the U.S. Army in Germany. He loved the Bavaria area and returned there five times in later life. After retirement, he enjoyed attending reunions of his original Army unit and kept in close touch with several Army friends. He wrote a book about his Army years titled “Playing Soldier.”

Upon discharge, he joined the sports staff of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver but later returned to Greenville as a sportswriter for the Greenville Piedmont. Among other duties, he recalled writing a weekly column on stock car racing, despite never having seen a race. Within a year, he moved to Columbia as assistant director of advertising and public relations of the State Development Board.

In 1961, he married Patricia (Pat) Gantt, whose brothers Bill and Dick Gantt had been his fraternity brothers at Furman and who was a reporter for the Greenville News when he was at the Piedmont.

In 1954, he joined Leslie Advertising Agency, then Withers & McNeely, then Newman, Saylor and Gregory, from which he retired as vice president in 1996.

Over the years, he appeared in more than 25 community theatre productions, primarily at Town Theatre. He is perhaps best remembered for playing Elwood P. Dowd in two productions of “Harvey.” He also played Dr. Watson in two Sherlock Holmes mysteries with his good friend John Wrisley as Holmes. In three plays, he was directed by his daughter, Allison, the theatre’s resident director. Beginning in the 1960s, he appeared in Town Theatre productions in every decade, ending with an appearance in 2015 at the age of 80. He is believed to be the oldest actor to appear in Town Theatre productions in consecutive decades in its 100-year history. He served two terms on the theatre’s board of governors and one as president of the Players Club.

He was a commissioner of the East Richland County Public Service District and a member of Columbia Ad Club, Communicating Arts Society, First Nighters Drama Club and the Hansom Wheels, Columbia’s Sherlock Holmes Society, where he and Wrisley played Holmes and Watson at least 30 times.

In recent years, he conducted classes for seniors at Shepherds Centers on such personal interests as polar exploration, travel and, using his extensive old-radio tape collection, the Golden Age of Radio.

A travel enthusiast since his teens, he had visited all 50 states, almost all of Europe, as well as New Zealand, Egypt, Russia and China. Ireland was his favorite country, which he had visited four times. His last trip was a two-week cruise to Ireland in June 2018, which included a visit to County Down, his ancestral homeland in Northern Ireland. With Pat, he had organized dozens of daytrips to historic or offbeat places in South Carolina.

A lifelong movie fan, he had an extensive collection of tapes and discs. He loved movie and sports trivia. He had a library of a thousand books on a wide variety of subjects.

He described himself as a “passionately mediocre” golfer.

And he was indescribably delighted to have become a grandfather in his 70s, doting on and matching wits with his grandchildren Jordan and Julia.

In addition to his wife Pat, he is survived by a daughter, Allison, a son, Alan, and his two grandchildren.

He is also survived by nieces Leah Tudor (Donald), Chris Caldwell (Tom) of Aiken; Susie McNeely (Guy Woody) of Danielsville, Ga., Paige Gantt Adams (Greg) of West Palm Beach, Fla., Chris Gantt Sorenson (Scott) of Greenville; and nephews Mark McNeely of Marina Del Rey, Calif., Scott Gantt (Pamela) of Charlotte, Matt Gantt (Amy) of Seneca and Rick Gantt of Greenville.

Honorary pall bearers are Chuck Stephen, John Wrisley, Mike Willis, Ed Bowen of Herndon, Va., and Buck Bishop of Greenville.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, followed by visitation. The Rev. Dr. Harry Crout is officiating. Burial will be Sunday at the Old Stone Church in Clemson in a private family service.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.