Elizabeth Anne Neal

She graduated from Jefferson High School, entering as a freshman the year it opened. Betty had a friend, Catherine Cade, who had a car and gave her rides to school on occasion but most of the time, before the era of school buses; she went to school on the city bus. The fare was a nickel. She attended Incarnate Word College and UT Austin, majoring in Business Administration but did not earn a degree because of not taking one feared and required course "Business Correspondence."

The first summer after college she worked as an assistant secretary to Congressman Maury Maverick during his failed campaign for re-election at his offices in the "new" post office building. Her first job was at CCC Civilian Conservation Corps Headquarters on Jones Avenue in the building which now houses the San Antonio Museum of Art. She then moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked for the Social Security Board. Other civil service appointments followed: the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, McAllen, Texas; San Antonio Quartermaster Depot, Ft. Sam Houston; California Quartermaster Depot, Oakland; 4th Army HQ., Presidio of San Francisco.

She entered the private sector and retired from Union Carbide Corporation after almost 25 years in South San Francisco and the Los Angeles area.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Henry C. "Jack" Neal in 1982; and their only child, daughter Christina Katherine "Kathy" Lindsay, in 2008; as well as her only sibling, Christine Krueger Hopwood, who was a teacher in Alamo Heights for many years. She is survived by granddaughter Sarah Ness O'Rourke and her husband John C. "Jack" O'Rourke; and great grandson Jacob Christian Sanders.

Betty has held several positions in different organizations including: Honorary Life member of the California Congress of Parents and Teachers, having served as a PTA president and president of the Millbrae CA Elementary School District Board; life member and past president of the San Antonio Garden Center; and charter member of Assistance League(r) of San Antonio, a chapter of National Assistance League(r), a non-profit charitable organization consisting of 122 chapters and guilds with about 26, 000 members nationwide. During her time with Assistance League(r) of San Antonio she served several years on their Board of Directors in different positions and was recipient of their highest national award, The Ada Edwards Laughlin Award. Her main goal for the organization was to see their mortgage burned. She also was a member of the San Antonio Conservation Society, the McNay Museum and the San Antonio Museum of Art.

The friendships she developed with members of Assistance League were treasured by her and she liked to claim Donna Campbell, Diane Gribble, Helen Jones, Dawne Wright and Norma Barloco as "surrogate" daughters.

She tried to live according to childhood advice received from her father. Whenever things weren't going well for her he would envelop her in a great big hug and say "Keep your chin up."

The family will receive friends on Monday, October 11, from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

SERVICE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2010

1:00 P.M.

PORTER LORING MORTUARY NORTH

The Rev. Michael Chalk, Rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, will officiate.

Interment will be at City Cemetery No. 1 in the Schuehle lot, which has been in the family for over 100 years.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Assistance League(r) of San Antonio, P. O. Box 13130, San Antonio, Texas 78213-0130 would be appreciated.