He was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Ralph J. and Ella A. Panzier. He attended elementary through high school in St. Louis then attended MIT and received a Bachelor's Degree in
Engineering in 1952. While at MIT, Neil was in the ROTC. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Corp during the Korean War and after. While serving in the U.S. Army Chemical Corp and based in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he met the love of his life, LaJoye Carnley, and they married in 1955. Following his service, he joined the DuPont Company in Memphis, Tennessee in the Electrochemicals Department. He transferred to the Old Hickory Textile Fibers Department in Old Hickory, Tennessee and his next move was then to the Chattanooga Fibers Plant in Carpet Marketing. He then transferred to the Dalton, Georgia offices where he worked until retirement in 1996.
Neil believed in giving back to his community and dedicated countless hours to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras, and Mountain Educational Foundation. He was a devoted member and volunteer of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for over 30 years.
Neil was preceded in death by his wife, LaJoye and parents.
He is survived by his nephew Gerry Carnley (Robyn) and nieces, Lindsey Holmes
(Billy) and Sloan; Jennifer Carnley (Bronson) and Kinsley; nephew Jim Carnley (Terri) and family.
A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, August 31, 2026, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, Tennessee at 10:30 a.m. with a reception to follow. Private burial preceding service at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Signal Mountain, Tennessee in the Memorial Garden.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Neil’s memory to Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Mountain Education Foundation, or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Chattanooga.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com
The arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, TN 37343.
