{Neal pictured above in 2004 at a reunion in Minneapolis of medical volunteers who served with ARC at the Thai-Cambodian border.}

With a single act of kindness towards a stranger, Neal set in motion a movement that has stood beside displaced people around the world for the last 50 years. His legacy of compassion, courage, and co-creation lives on and continues to inspire the work of Alight  (fka American Refugee Committee) humanitarians around the world.

In 1978, Neal agreed to sponsor a Laotian refugee, believing his part would be limited to writing a monthly check. But that refugee was soon at his door. And when Neal learned that his family was still stranded in camps in Thailand, he flew there himself. He managed to get the whole family reunited in the United States, but he didn't stop at that.

In the camps, Neal also saw how great the medical needs were. 

“We made an early commitment, not knowing how we were going to do it, to send 75 doctors and nurses over the course of a year to refugee camps in Thailand,” he said. “It went way over that number.” That commitment became the American Refugee Committee, now Alight, which today works with displaced communities across Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Europe.
From the beginning, Neal believed in people helping people. He taught that refugees should never be patronized, and that they are partners who bring their own knowledge and skills. It was a belief that Alight now calls co-creation. He never saw the work as overwhelming. “It just was a series of things that had to be done,” he said. “And we simply went about doing it.” 

Neal’s leadership was never about recognition. It was about doing the next right thing and inviting others to join. Thank you, Neal, for showing us what it means to be Alight.

Neal’s sister Marion, father Clyde, sisters Florence and Lois, seated on floor mom, Alice and Neal.

Neal’s good friend Andriy and Vanessa’s wedding.

You are loved and will be forever missed by our family.

Neal and the Grifols family in and old Sailboat

Neal, my wife Marta and VIctor in Mallorca

Neal Ball

I first met Neal at the Orrington Hotel in Evanston in the summer of 1972. I was spending that summer working for American Hospital Supply, a partner of our family company. Neal had just moved from Washington.

We were the hotel’s only two “permanent” residents. We discovered that we worked for the same company and became friends.

Two years later, I asked him to become my best man in my wedding with Marta.

In the years that followed, the partnership between American Hospital Supply and Grifols gave us many opportunities to meet, either in the US or in Barcelona, and our friendship grew even stronger. During his visits to Barcelona, Neal also became a very close friend of my parents and my four brothers. My parents came to think of him as an “adopted” son and included him in our family trips, together with our spouses and sons—one big family. Over the years, we traveled together to Greece, Scotland, Sicily and other places. He had become one of us.

About 25 years ago, we created the Victor Grifols Lucas Ethics Foundation in Barcelona as a legacy of my father. Neal’s broad experience and remarkable ethical standards made him a natural choice to join the foundation as a trustee, and I invited him to do so.

His role as a trustee of the foundation brought him back to Barcelona regularly, and I made a small apartment available to him in one of the city’s traditional neighborhoods. He loved spending time here and soon became known to everyone in the neighborhood. Gentle and interested in everyone’s personal stories, he enjoyed getting to know the people around him. He also loved visiting small museums and other cultural sites away from the tourist areas.

Neal was the kind of person with a great heart that enjoyed talking and learning from people, always with a smile and showing appreciation for even the smallest things.

We miss you and are thankful for having had the chance to be your friends

Victor Grifols

To family and friends:

We were deeply saddened to hear about Neal’s passing. Having him as our next-door neighbor for the past ten years was a true privilege, and the building simply will not feel the same without him.

Neal was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. We will so dearly miss our conversations in his living room—hearing about his travels, admiring his incredible African art and fiber art collections, and learning from the deep appreciation he had for culture and craftsmanship. He had a genuine warmth and curiosity that made every conversation memorable.

We also shared a wonderful bond over our love of baked goods. It brought me so much joy to bring over cakes or cookies, especially knowing how much he loved the olive oil cakes. And of course, no visit was complete without our dog, Sylvie. Neal had such a sweet affection for her, and whenever he called asking if we could bring her over for a visit, it brightened both of our days. She will miss him, too.

Please accept our heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. Neal was a remarkable man and a wonderful neighbor, and his presence will be deeply missed.

With warmest sympathy,

Amy and Rick Schechter

Great afternoon with Neal telling stories about 87 countries he visited.  Including North Korea.

OBITUARY

Neal Ball

October 7, 1935 – October 28, 2026

Drake & Son Funeral Home

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