Robert N. (Neal) McGaugh joyfully entered the Lord’s presence peacefully and without suffering at home on Sunday, February 27. It seems fitting because the Lord’s Day was his favorite day of the week, when he could attend church with his beloved wife Dorothy (Dot), his sweetheart and wife of almost 68 years.
Born in Waldron, AR on July 18, 1931, Neal attended the University of Arkansas where he graduated with a degree in Industrial Engineering and a lifelong passion for the Razorbacks. Fayetteville is also where he met Dot, the love of his life, at church—and on an early date informed her that she would one day be his wife. Dot finally relented and in 1954 they were married. A subsequent stint in the Air Force brought them to Alexandria, where they settled down and Neal worked as the Plant Engineer for AFCO for over 30 years, developing production lines for building products. Later, he worked in New Orleans for Boeing Petroleum Services for another decade before retiring and moving to Baton Rouge to be near his family and grandchildren.
Neal completely dedicated himself to the Lord and to his church. He served in every capacity, from Sunday School teacher to Sunday School Superintendent and countless other leadership roles. He and Dot also went on mission trips abroad to Rwanda, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and shared a passion for spreading the Word of the Gospel to those less fortunate. They furthered mission work later through active participation in the Gideons and prison ministries. They also “adopted” many struggling young men and women in the church over the years, helping them overcome their challenging circumstances. He loved chess, and truly studied the Grandmasters and played as often as he could, sometimes introducing church youth to the game and using it as a mentorship opportunity.
His parents Luther and Leila and sister Laura preceded him in death, along with his daughters Rebecca and Laura and son Gerald. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Dot, son Michael, daughter-in-law Jane and grandsons Andrew and James, along with his brother Don McGaugh.
Visitation will be at the First Church of the Nazarene, 9955 Old Hammond Hwy. on Friday, March 4 at 10 am, Memorial Service at 11 am. Interment will follow at a family service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Pineville, LA. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the First Church of the Nazarene, 9955 Old Hammond Hwy., Baton Rouge, LA 70816 or a charity of your choosing.
