Joe Hoyt Neely

1923 - 2015

Joe Hoyt Neely, 91, took his final step of life's journey Friday, March 27, 2015. Graveside service: 10 a.m. Tuesday in Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Arlington Chapel. Joe was born in Lipan during the Roaring '20s to Rush and Alice Neely who established a cotton farm in the Texas Panhandle. As the Dust Bowl of the '30s started to develop, Joe moved back to the Lipan/Santo area with his mother and brother after typhoid fever took the lives of his father and grandfather. Joe was a hard-working, mischievous child who did every farm chore imaginable to help his family and won the devotion of one favorite milk cow who liked to have a bath every day. One of Joe's favorite uncles offered to send him to any college of his choosing, as long as the school was Texas A&M, but family responsibilities came first. When World War II evolved in the South Pacific, duty called and Joe joined the Army in 1943. He was assigned to 3751st Quartermaster Truck Company in New Guinea, and discharged as a sergeant in 1946. Upon return to his home, he became a lifelong employee of Southwestern Bell. Joe met the love of his life, Margaret, and married her in 1948. Their life together was spent raising three sons, Dean, Russell and Joe Keith. Community service was a favorite activity for Joe; he especially enjoyed the Arlington Lions Club, Arlington Baptist Church, and his three terms on the Burleson school board. He recently received a certificate of recognition for 60 years as a member of the Masonic Lodge of Santo. The retirement years were spent pursuing sports such as hunting, fishing and telling tall tales. Joe's life spanned over 17 presidents from Warren G. Harding to Barack Obama, and he witnessed the new technologies of television (both black and white and color), VCRs, audio tapes and CDs, cordless phones, digital cameras, microwaves, the internet, and instant cocoa. He was a man of good character who was loved and admired by family and friends. Special thanks go to Heartland/ManorCare Rehabilitation for their kind and gentle encouragement of Joe as he worked to build his strength and for their compassion to Joe's family. Joe was preceded in death by his parents; wife of 62 years, Margaret Geneva Neely; son, Joe Keith Neely; and granddaughter, Katherine Neely. Survivors: Sons, Dean Neely and wife, Sylvia, of Las Vegas and Russell Neely and wife, Becky, of Fort Worth; grandchildren, Virginia Neely Stout and husband, Adam, of Katy and Jenna, Robert and Kacie Neely.