Dan is survived by his wife Tina of 12 years, daughters Amber (Chris) Berry, Caitlin (Daniel) Villalobos, and Jaimie Hobbs, son Jason (Jenna) Neal, mother Jonnie (Jerry) Jones, sister Diane Neal, and nine grandchildren Neal Grace, Evyn, Brenden, Cara, Reagan, Pierce, Luke, Julien, Miren, the mother of his children Teri, and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family including, of course, the entire Heeter clan. He was preceded in death by his father Doyle Weldon Neal. Dan was a loving father, husband, Grampz, and a faithful servant of Christ.
Dan loved life and lived it to the fullest, pouring all of his passion into everything he did. He was a proud and devoted father and did his best to make every meet, tournament, practice, game, concert, and event that his children participated in. His children were also blessed to share his passion for kids as he voluntarily dedicated years of his life to coaching youth wrestling, football, softball, baseball, soccer, and anything else he could be involved in for kids. His huge impact in others’ lives is evident by the response from so many people that have reached out to the family to send condolences. He was a faithful husband that brought joy into the home every night when he was finally able to sit down after a long day of work and tell Tina how much he loved her. Most importantly, Dan was dedicated to studying scripture and sharing the Gospel of Christ with everyone he met. He spent years learning God’s Word in order to share the faith and teach others about God and his revelation to humanity. He fought the battle with courageous faith and unceasing prayers, surrounded by loved ones as he completed his victory lap to worship in paradise.
The family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at Baptist Memorial CVICU for their loving care and support during his final days. The family would also like to specifically recognize the following medical professionals for the exemplary care they provided: Collier, Hannah, Brian, Seabrun, Gina, Abbey, Kathryn, Noni, Amber, Reagan, and the Palliative Care Team, as well as Dr. Porter and Dr. Besh with the West Cancer and Research Center. Also, the family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to Memphis Funeral Home for being very accommodating and understanding during this difficult time.
The family invites you to celebrate Dan’s life on Saturday, January 11th at the Oakland Activity Center located at 43 Main Street, Oakland, TN 38060. The doors will open at 11:30 and have a brief service in honor of his memory at 12:00. Food will be provided starting at 12:30 and everyone is welcome to come and go as they please at that time. The family looks forward to fellowship with those who plan to attend and we want this to be a joyous occasion where we can laugh, cry, remember, and share our love for this great man of God.
