Johnny Allen McNEELEY

1948 - 2016

McNEELEY, Johnny Allen Johnny "John" Allen McNeeley, longtime resident of Sandy Springs, GA, died peacefully at home December 31, 2016 after a courageous battle with ALS. He was 68. A well-beloved Atlanta restaurateur, John was known as a charismatic friend to all with a quick wit, infectious smile, and a penchant for tall tales. Born on June 21, 1948 in Shawnee, TN to Maynard H. "Doc" McNeeley and Frances "Gerry" McNeeley, Johnny was reared in DeLand, Florida with siblings Ronnie, Roger, and Angie, a tight knit group. He was voted "Wittiest" by his class of 1966 at DeLand High School, where he met his first true love and future bride, Gay DeRolph. A detail John was not shy of mentioning was his athletic prowess, lettering in 3 sports. Johnny did, however, discover a second true love, the Florida State University Seminoles, where he majored in business and graduated in 1970. He and Gay moved to Atlanta where John went into the restaurant business. By 1978 & '79, he was named Houlihan's "Manager of the Year" when he ran the chain's immensely popular Lenox Square Restaurant. Not long after, Johnny established his namesake restaurant, McNeeley's, at the corner of Peachtree & Collier Rd. Known for its "Parrot" logo and casual fun vibe, McNeeley's was for almost two decades an Atlanta hot spot featuring live music, great food, tasty drinks, FSU football and a giant picture over the bar of Johnny with his idol, Bobby Bowden. If only the walls, or even the parking lot of McNeeley's could talk! John went on to open two more McNeeley's locations, one near his residence in Sandy Springs and the other in Oklahoma City. Upon retiring in 1997 from running his own restaurants, John became a restaurant broker, helping prospective entrepreneurs understand what the real life of a restaurateur was like as they looked to open their own place. John McNeeley loved people, evident in every aspect of his life. At work, he always looked out for the happiness and well-being of his employees. In return, they would tell him he was a pleasure to work for-- always respectful, understanding, and fair. As for his patrons, he befriended all, creating a "Cheers" atmosphere where "everybody knew your name". At home, Johnny was a devoted family man, always there both physically and emotionally for his wife Gay and his three daughters, Carey, Shelly, and Marianne. He also loved his dog, "Mindy." John was proud of everything his girls did, always in the stands cheering them on at softball games, swim meets, dance, gymnastics and cheerleading competitions-- while tape recording every moment. His daughters' friends often mentioned what a "cool dad" they had. As an uncle, Johnny was devoted to his nieces and nephews, as well, making an effort to be at all their monumental events. John loved to fish, spending many hours trolling the Chattahoochee River, angling for a few nice trout. An avid sports fan, he could often be found at a sports bar or at Riverwood High School watching any type of sport being played. It was not uncommon for him to also spend 18 hours a day watching football on television. In his neighborhood, Mount Vernon Woods, he played tennis, but was especially famous at the pool, where he spent countless hours befriending every adult and child. At the neighborhood's annual party, he would always cook his specialty, "jerk chicken," enjoyed by all, so much so he became known to some neighbors as "The Chicken Man." Johnny liked cold beer, chicken wings, salmon fettuccine, Caesar salad, and was a master at preparing all. Another favorite activity was watching Jeopardy! - placing bets with his daughters that he could answer the final question even before it was asked. On Wednesday evenings, he enjoyed poker with a crew of his more ancient pals, where the ante was a buck. Friday nights often found him enjoying after-dinner ice cream dates with his girls, then grabbing a movie and popcorn at Blockbuster. One of his greatest joys was relaxing at the Isle of Palms in South Carolina with his family. Later in life, John reintroduced himself to his faith at Dunwoody Baptist Church, where he regularly attended Sunday services and a weekly prayer group, with yet another network of friends who loved and supported one another. He lived by his motto "Faith, Family, and Friends." His daily choices reflected the importance of each aspect which he was so intentional about. He was the first to tell you how special you were and the last to leave your side - literally - as he was also the last to leave any party! "Life is Living" was also a motto he lived by, committing to it by making the most of every moment, seizing each day, and remaining positive through life's trials. John was pre-deceased by his parents, Maynard "Doc" and Frances "Gerry" McNeeley, his brother Ronald McNeeley, his niece Kristen McNeeley, and his son-in-law Hayden Blanchard. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Gay DeRolph McNeeley, daughters Carey McNeeley Bewley (Christopher) and Shelly McNeeley Blanchard of Atlanta, GA and Marianne McNeeley Seel (Matthew) of Charleston, SC; siblings Roger McNeeley (Laurie) of Woodstock, GA, Angie McNeeley Kolsch (Dennis) of Cape Canaveral, FL, and sister-in-law Mary Kay McDonnell McNeeley of Orange City, FL; his 3 beloved grandchildren Aidan Bewley, Thomas Blanchard, and Ashton Bewley; 5 nephews, 8 nieces and their children. The family wishes to thank Jeff Simms of His Grip Home Care for his devotion to John's happiness and comfort while receiving home care and to Nicky Nixon for her healing hands and caring spirit. John's family also expresses their deep gratitude to Nelson Gary for his weekly visits of scripture study and companionship as these visits kept John active with his faith throughout his illness. A Memorial service and celebration of John's life will be held Saturday January 14, 2017 at 11:00am at Dunwoody Baptist Church chapel with visitation starting at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of John McNeeley to Winning the Fight www.winningthefight.org or the ALS Association of Georgia www.alsaga.org . Condolences can be made online at www.southcare.us