BRUCE McNEIL

BRUCE McNEIL (Age 80)  Photographer  
Passed away on May 6, 2019 in his sleep at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Born in New York City on February 19, 1939, son of late Louise and James Lee McNeil (Military). His mother is buried at Arlington National Cemetery with his stepfather, Thomas Carey (Military). Survived by his wife, Misty Brown; sister Tami Brunson (Keith) and her daughters Janiece (Carmel, NY) and Jasmine (Miami, FL) and his children Keith, Kevin and Karen. Two other sisters, Lori and Jan, are deceased. After studying photography and dark room techniques in New York, with a stint at Look magazine, Bruce moved to Montreal where he worked at the McCord Museum's photo archives and as a photographer of Les Ballets Jazz and Eddy Toussaint Ballet Company. He returned to Washington in the late nineties to care for his ailing mother and to establish a photography business. He achieved recognition for his photos and montages documenting the reclamation of the Anacostia River. The Washington Post dubbed him the "DC River Man". His works are in the collections of the city of Washington, D.C. and the Sandy Spring (MD) Museum, and as installations at the Anacostia Watershed Society and the 11th Street tunnel to Anacostia Park.  Three celebration of life events are planned: August 3 in Washington, DC at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street, SW, Washington, DC. 20024, from 3 to 5 p.m. August 8, DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities, 200 I Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003, "Opening Reception: Bruce McNeil Tribute," from 6 to 8 p.m. September 1 in Ayer's Cliff, Quebec, from 4 to 8 p.m. More information at lyrica@videotron.ca