Henry "Hank" Slack McNeil Jr.

Henry "Hank" Slack McNeil Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully in his home on July 28, 2025. He was born to Henry Slack McNeil Sr. and Lois Fernley McNeil on August 23, 1943, in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Hank is survived by his former wife Leslie Sheehan and their children Justin and Cam, and grand-daughter Rilee, as well as his former wife Leslie Cerf and their children Calder, and Cole. He was predeceased by his younger brother Robert D. McNeil, and is survived by sisters Marjorie Findlay-Freeman and Barbara Jordan. Hank was an avid environmentalist, art collector, philanthropist and national champion in the sport of retriever trials.

Hank's beloved grandparents, George and Mildred Fernley, owned Crefeld Farm where they raised Welsh ponies. Hank frequently put a thermometer on the bedside heater so that he could play sick and go work on the farm rather than go to school. His grandfather gave Hank his first pony with a box saddle at the age of one. In Hank's youth, he was a champion equestrian.

Hank attended Washington and Lee University, where he developed his love for the arts through classes, contributions to the school newspaper, and involvement in theater. During his senior year, Hank directed the play Marat/Sade and was overjoyed that artist-in-residence Tom Wolfe attended the production. In addition to his involvement in the arts, he was a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Upon attaining his B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications in 1968, he attended Wharton Business School.

As an enthusiastic supporter and patron of contemporary arts, Hank cherished the relationships he built in the art world. He began collecting art in the mid-1970s. From 1981 to 1984, he co-owned Protetch-McNeil Gallery. In 1983, the gallery curated and exhibited the landmark feminist show The Revolutionary Power of Women's Laughter, which included work by Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer. After closing Protetch-McNeil, Hank opened Vanguard Gallery in Philadelphia, where one of his most memorable exhibitions was Andy Warhol's Paintings for Children.

Hank's personal art collection was in the ArtNews Top 200 Collectors list numerous times, and he generously donated art to many institutions. Later in life, he focused his collection on minimalist art. One of his proudest involvements in the arts was as co-director of the Acadia Summer Arts Program founded by one of his dear friends, Marion "Kippy" Stroud. Together they formed a tight-knit group of Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and exceptional talents from the fields of science, art, dance, and music for the artistic think tank on Mount Desert Island, Maine. These relationships led to Hank's collaborations with organizations such as For Freedoms, which aims to deepen civic engagement and action through the arts.

Hank's interests in the arts, landscape architecture, environmental issues, wildlife preservation, and sustainability practices converged in a unique conservation and land reclamation project in Winslow, New Jersey. Now known as Winslow Farms Conservancy, McNeil's project preserved 600 acres from development. The landmark project was realized in collaboration with Martha Schwartz, one of the world's most innovative landscape architects and artists. Hank purchased the property in 1992 with plans to train his beloved Labrador Retrievers for the sport of field trials. The timing aligned perfectly with his acquisition of a promising young dog named "Babe". Hank and Babe won two national championships together.

Hank was a member of the Anne d'Harnoncourt Society of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He served on the board of the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Philadelphia (1982-1992) and on the advisory board of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School (1975-2004). Additionally, he was on the Collectors Committee of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (1994-2009). In 1991, he endowed the Henry S. McNeil, Jr. Dean's Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. This fund has provided fellowships to well over 30 veterinary students since 1995.

Donations in Hank's honor can be made to The Morris Arboretum and/or The Fabric Workshop and Museum. A Celebration of Life will be held at Winslow Farms Conservancy 369 E. Fleming Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037 on August 23rd. Hank lived a life of bright color, so please feel free to dress in whatever you find appropriate.