Berna Elaine Neal, an Arizona resident since 1988, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, August 22, 2012. She was born on November 8 1935 in Elmira NY, the daughter of Hubert Dean Neal and Grace Kennedy Neal. After graduating from Southside H.S. in 1953, Berna earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1957 and a Master’s in Library Science in 1961. Her professional positions included Head of the Architecture Library at University of Maryland and Arizona State University. Berna was an independent woman who pursued life-long interests in music and Native American culture. She loved the aesthetic of the desert southwest. She is survived by nieces Marilyn O’Mara of Albuquerque, NM, Catherine Neal of Somersworth, NH, and Carol Hoffman of St. Petersburg, FL. Memorial contributions may be made to Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770.
