Donald"Don" F. McNeil, Sr.

Donald F. McNeil, Sr., age 77, of Gastonia, NC passed away on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.   

Don was born January 29, 1947, in Americus, GA to the late Henry Broadus McNeil and Emma Fletcher McNeil.  In his early years, Don was a founding member of the Kappa Sigma chapter at Georgia Southern University, and after college served in the Army National Guard.  Don was a former member of First Baptist Church of Dawson where he served in many roles such as Sunday School teacher, deacon, and choir member.  He was a member of the P. T. Schley Masonic Lodge.   He loved music, especially gospel and bluegrass, and some of his most cherished times were spent singing in a quartet with his best friends.  

Don’s family fondly remembers him as a man who could fix anything.  He was a brilliant innovator in the construction and millwork industry. He loved all things woodworking and was a superb craftsman.   

Don loved and cherished Mary, his wife of 54 years, and always spoke of how proud he was that she was his.  He loved her and his four children well.  His children remember his kind, calm manner and how he encouraged each of them to reach for whatever dreams or passions they pursued.  Don’s 12 grandchildren will remember his big hugs, how he always beat them at checkers, and for making the world’s worst zip line.  More importantly, they will remember how proud he was of each of them. 

He is survived by his wife, Mary Lokey McNeil; his daughters, Larkin (Rod) Hawkins of Maiden, NC, Jaime (William) Crosby of Centerville, OH, Mandy (Chase) Fulk of York, SC; and son, Fletcher (Kingsley) McNeil of Tryon, NC; and his grandchildren, Parker, Noah, Libby, and Jolie Hawkins, Finn and Tatumn Crosby, Jackson, Anderson, Henry, and Eeny Fulk, and Annie and George McNeil.   

He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry Broadus McNeil and Emma Fletcher McNeil, and by his sister, Suzanne Lee. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held on June 8 at 10:00 am at Parrott United Methodist Church in Parrott, GA.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Dawson or the American Heart Association.