Bill J. Neal

Bill J. Neal, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and uncle, died December 15, 2015, at the age of 81 and resided in San Antonio, TX. Bill, to friends and family, and Daddy Bill to his grandchildren, was born on December 17, 1933 in Beebe, Ark. He was a retired C.P.A. and President of Hart Financial Management (HFM). Bill is preceded in death by his one and only true love, Mary Lea Wipff Neal, his parents Paul L. Neal and LaVonne Burkhart, and sister Lynnette Howard. He is survived by his seven children: Paul M. Neal, Elizabeth St. Clair (James), Mary Julia Smith (Rusty), Thomas F. Neal, Gregory J. Neal (Tonye), Matthew C. Neal, and Magdalen "Maggie" Rickard (Bobby); his grandchildren: Stephanie Lacey, Katy and Justin Cowan, Lauren St. Clair, Shauna and James Holt, Adam Smith, Aaron Neal, Joshua Neal, Josiah Neal, Hailey Neal, Evan Neal, Sarah Vaughn, and Kyle Rickard; as well as eleven Great Grandchildren.

65 years ago he was a young man with only hopes, dreams, and ambition. Lots of ambition. Within a couple of years, he would meet the girl of his dreams at the Alamo while on a day pass from Air Force training. He would marry her three months later and move her to DC, as his post would be the Pentagon. Returning to San Antonio with his pretty bride and the first of seven children in tow, he would then take an entry level accounting job while attending night school at St. Mary's U. In the next 23 years he would turn the entry level job into CFO of the nation's largest photo developing company.

Next, and he won't fully understand it at the time, his moving to Leakey to open a private CPA practice and finish raising his youngest 3 kids there will be a much needed break; his dream job would still be to come. But at this time, the slower pace environment would allow him time and opportunity to reflect on what is truly important to him. It would be the beginning of his desire to be genuinely and individually connected to his mostly adult children, and to renew the bond with that pretty bride of his. It would be during this time that, while penning his updated resume on the front porch of that log cabin styled house, he would list his proudest achievement as, "Raising seven wonderful children with my beautiful wife of twenty-nine years".

With a renewed spirit and a restored bounce in his step, he would submit that resume for his dream job. An honorable man who is a media mogul is in need of an honorable man to head up the company that manages his families' personal finances. President of HFM Services Inc. is to become the young man's favorite job of his career, and the job that he will have until retirement.

During these years that pretty bride and he would share amazing moments of travel and family. The two of them would craft moments which would inspire the seven children to say "I have the best parents in the world". Many more wonderful moments would take place, and as time passes by he would find himself there to hold the hand of that beautiful bride as she crosses over before him. There would be a little more time to come after this, and it seems his most often asked questions are to be, "Are you enjoying it? Are you having fun?" And through the hopefulness that he would try to project, it would still be obvious, missing the pretty bride was to be a constant. Until December 15th, 2015, as if shouted down from heaven, the young man would hear the call, "Remember the Alamo!"

The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, December 20, 2015, at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

ROSARY

SUNDAY

DECEMBER 20, 2015

6:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

MASS

MONDAY

DECEMBER 21, 2015

2:00 P.M.

HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC CHURCH

8134 BLANCO RD.

Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

A reception will be hosted by the family following the services. Location information will be provided during the services.