David Brown McNeill

The McNeill and Wooten families ask that you rejoice with us. David, our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, has passed from death into life, and has spent his first Christmas singing praises to Jesus in a Heavenly Choir.

David Brown McNeill was born in Lee County, North Carolina on June 22, 1958. Quiet and brilliant, he spent his childhood seeking knowledge and beauty and found them in his Lord and Savior as a young teenager. He matriculated to North Carolina State University in 1976 and almost immediately joined the bass section of the choir at Christ Episcopal Church, where he spent countless happy Wednesdays and Sundays glorifying God and making beautiful music with treasured friends. An unusually gifted and dynamic teacher, he met his beloved wife Kathryn while student-teaching a programming course. They quickly became inseparable, marrying exactly one year after they met, and were constant, loving companions until he departed this earth.

David began a 39-year career with IBM around the same time and truly loved what he did. He always liked to say it was an incredible time to work in tech, because he saw everything from punch cards to AI. He was a ferociously creative and capable problem-solver and innovator, but his favorite task by far was mentoring others, and he would drop everything to help those around him achieve excellence. After retiring from IBM, he joined Advance Auto, where he happily spent another three years passing on his knowledge and wisdom to others.

David was deeply, heroically devoted to his family. He and Kathryn were overjoyed to welcome their son Hayden in 1988, and their family was made complete with the birth of their daughter, Brinkley, in 1991. David was the most incredible father, passing on his love of music, cooking, movies, the beach, long walks with good dogs, and most importantly, Jesus. He and Kathryn set a powerful example of how marriages thrive when they are centered on love, humor, communication, and Jesus. He joyfully watched Hayden and Brinkley marry Mallory and Kyle, respectively, and, in his usual manner, happily welcomed them into the family. He was even more thrilled with the subsequent births of three healthy and loving grandchildren; Kyle and Brinkley’s son, Knox (5) and daughter, Nila (3); and Hayden and Mallory’s daughter, Clara (3). His years as a grandfather were far too short but deeply meaningful, and he lavished his grandchildren with love and attention from Day One.

David was diagnosed with ALS in the spring of 2023. While devastating to his family, David approached ALS the same way he did every other challenge in his life: with bravery, grace, humor, and deep faith. He proactively chose to be joyful and found abundant blessings every day, even in the midst of what he knew would be great suffering. David was cared for by the superb team at Duke University’s ALS Clinic, led by Dr. Richard Bedlack, and David’s family will be forever grateful for their compassion and relentless search for a cure for this brutal disease.

David spent his remaining time making beautiful memories with his family and friends and peacefully completed his journey to Heaven on Christmas Eve.

David is survived by his beloved wife Kathryn; son Hayden, his wife Mallory, and their daughter Clara; daughter Brinkley, her husband Kyle, and their son Knox and daughter Nila; his deeply cherished mother-in-law, father-in-law, and brothers- and sisters-in-law; five nephews and their families, of whom he was so very proud; countless close friends and colleagues; and his golden retriever and favorite walking buddy, Homer. He will be deeply missed, but we will always remember him while watching beautiful sunsets, eating something spectacular, or singing praises to God.

A celebration of David’s life will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 1:00 pm at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601. The family will receive friends at the church immediately after the service.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to ALS United NC in David’s memory.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh, is serving the McNeill family.