Dale Kent Neal

April 28, 1948 - October 13, 2025 Dale Kent Neal, 77, of Pacific Palisades, California, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, October 13, 2025, surrounded by his wife, Christal, son, Tyler, and daughter, Sarah.
He was a devoted husband, father, uncle, and grandfather who lived his life with integrity, joy, and love for his family.
Dale was born on April 28, 1948, in Danville, Illinois, to Charlotte (Castle) and Walter Harold Neal of Ridgefarm, Illinois. He was the second of four Neal boys - his older brother, Jeff, and two younger brothers, Jack and James. He grew up in Bloomington/Normal and graduated from University High School in 1966, where he served as Student Body President and excelled academically as well as athletically, lettering in football, baseball, and wrestling.
Dale went on to attend Harvard College, where he studied history and played linebacker (#65) for the Harvard football team. He was a member of the legendary co–Ivy League Championship team of 1968 - the team that became the subject of the documentary Harvard Beats Yale 29–29.
After graduating from Harvard in 1970, Dale headed west to Stanford University to pursue a joint JD/MBA. He starred on the Stanford rugby team and served as Resident Advisor at the Zeta Psi fraternity house, where he earned the nickname "Dale the Male" and proudly served as the "owner" of the touch football team.
On November 10, 1972, Dale met Stanford studio art major Christal Lee Johnson at the Zeta Psi tennis tournament, delivering the classic line, "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Dale and Christal married the following year on December 8, 1973, at Stanford Memorial Church, surrounded by friends, family, and a lot of Zetes.
After graduation in 1974, Dale and Christal moved to Los Angeles, where Dale began a 32-year career at Latham & Watkins, becoming one of LA's most respected land use attorneys. He was especially proud of his work on large-scale developments like Playa Vista, The Howard Hughes Center Project, and Warner Center, and his pro bono service for schools in Los Angeles and the LA County Housing Development Corporation. Dale was known for his mastery of complex development agreements and his skill in navigating the California Coastal Commission.
Yet anyone who knew Dale knew that his greatest joy was his family - spending time with Christal and their two children, Tyler and Sarah. He loved coaching Tyler's Little League teams at Palisades Park and Sarah's AYSO soccer teams at Paul Revere. As his children grew, Dale was a fixture in the stands at their high school and college athletic events. One could even say he coined the phrase, "I love to watch you play."
Dale served on the boards of St. Matthew's Parish School, the Brentwood School, the Stanford Club of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Country Club, as well as The Beach Club - places where he spent countless hours with family and friends. He loved to play golf, first with his family, including countless memorable rounds with Ric, Craigie, and Tyler, and later with the GP, Co-Host, and the Unplayable Liars.
In later years, Dale and Christal cherished time with their seven grandchildren, walks on the beach in Malibu, and cheering on the Dodgers, the Stanford Cardinal, and the Harvard Crimson.
Those who knew Dale will remember his love for life, his warm smile and laugh, the multiple Stanford national championship and Harvard rings on his fingers, the oft-repeated story of "Harvard beats Yale 29–29," and his endless positivity.
Dale is survived by his wife, Christal; his son, Tyler, and wife, Brooke, of Lubbock, Texas; and his daughter, Sarah, and husband, Andrew Kline, of Pacific Palisades. He is also survived by seven grandchildren - Emerson, Griffin, Sawyer, and Collins Neal, and Charles, Avery, and Taylor Kline - as well as his brothers, Jeff (Susan) Neal of Winnetka, Illinois, and Jack (Cheryl) Neal, of Kenilworth, Illinois, and brother-in-law, Craig Johnson, of San Francisco, California. He was preceded in death by his brother, James Neal.
A celebration of Dale's life will be held at his home in the Palisades.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Parish of St. Matthew in Pacific Palisades in Dale's memory.