James Walter Neville Sr.

Jim was born in East St. Louis, Illinois on January 20, 1930, graduated from Assumption Catholic High School, where he was a champion Golden Gloves boxer. He attended Spring Hill Jesuit College in Mobile, AL before leaving to serve five and a half years in the U.S. Air Force including service with the 58th Fighter Bomber Group as a fighter pilot during the Korean conflict. While serving in Bismarck, ND, Jim met his wife Mary. He graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a degree in accounting and was selected to the Beta Gamma Sigma national honorary accounting fraternity. Jim started his post-military career with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., now KMPG. He continued his career with the Internal Revenue Service, and was selected to the Executive Management Services division where he managed various regional functions and served on a national task force to integrate computer systems. He was granted the Assistant Commissioners Award in 1989. Widely respected, Jim was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Federal Employees Credit Union.

Jim was an avid fisherman, who for years fished at Bennett Springs, MO and often traveled with his son Tim to fish local lakes as well as in Minnesota and Canada. He also enjoyed fly-fishing and tying his own flies. Although he caught many large fish, Jim received perhaps his greatest fishing notoriety for having tussled with a great blue heron that “caught” the same fish as Jim.

Jim also enjoyed golf. He played with co-workers, buddies and his sons. In 1991 he joined the august club of those that have made a hole in one.

Jim attended mass daily at Nativity Catholic Church, actively participated in the Knights of Columbus and cherished his daily gathering of coffee buddies after mass. Jim, along with his wife Mary, was a volunteer to various charitable organizations, including the Seton Center, the Uplift Program for the Homeless, St. Mary’s Food Kitchen in Kansas City, KS and the Knights of Columbus breakfasts and Lenten fish fries.

Jim will long be remembered as a loving family man, who was quick to laugh, and had many friends.

Fondly known as “Pop”, Jim’s first love was his family. Jim is survived by his wife Mary Neville, his five children Julie Neville Carew and husband Tom of Leawood, KS, Patricia Neville of Overland Park, KS, Brigid Neville Ohlemeyer and husband Bill of Greenwich, CT, James W. Neville Jr. and wife Missy of Mission Hills, KS, and Timothy Neville of Leawood, KS, eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

There will be a rosary held on Wednesday February 16, 2011 at McGilley Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO at 5:00pm and a visitation to follow from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday February 17, 2011 at Nativity Catholic Church, 3800 West 119th Street Leawood, KS. The service will commence at 10:30am.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of James W. Neville, Sr. may be made to the “Nativity Knights of Columbus” to be used for new seminarians..