William B. McNeal Jr, a former resident of the Colonel Robert Howard Veterans Home in Pell City, AL, left his earthly body and went to his heavenly home with Jesus on Saturday, December 9th, 2023. William “Bill” McNeal was a week into his 84th year when he entered life everlasting. Bill was predeceased by his parents, William B. McNeal Sr and Inez McNeal. He is survived by his sister, Meredith McNeal Sparks, brother-in-law, Tony Sparks and nephews, Gerry Sparks (Terri), Mark Sparks (Dawn), Andy Sparks (Kellye) and Sean Sparks (Amy). In addition, he had a host of great nieces and nephews.
Mr. McNeal received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Howard College in 1961 and a Master’s of Psychology degree from The University of Alabama in 1963 before receiving a commission in the U.S. Army and serving in Vietnam. Several years later in life, he earned a Master’s of Divinity degree from The New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Mr. McNeal enjoyed a long life filled with adventure having followed various career paths. From selling life insurance to managing adult special care homes to working in a Christian evangelistic ministry, his life was spent dealing with people from all walks of life. If you ever wanted the answer to an obscure sports trivia question, Bill was the “go to”, having a special gift of knowing facts and figures. He also was a master at storytelling, keenly able to draw you into his life experiences. His special gift of connecting with individuals and making them feel special was a hallmark of the life of Bill “the real deal” McNeal.
The family requests that any donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Ashville AL building fund.
