James David Neill

James David Neill

  A devoted husband, father, brother, son, friend, farmer, cowboy, practical jokester, protector, mentor, Leukemia survivor, and undoubtedly a true southern gentleman, peacefully passed away on November 28, 2024. 

 James David Neill was born to Roy and Mary Sue Neill on December 27, 1954, and was a well-known and loved lifelong resident of Fort Pierce, Florida. David shared his lifetime between Fort Pierce and South Carolina. 

 He lived a life filled with honesty, loyalty, and manners, where a handshake was all that you needed to seal a deal. David was a hero to his children and lived for his family. He was happiest when with them or on a tractor, and most comfortable in a well-worn pair of jeans and Columbia shirt. He would be the first person to show you how to clean up nicely, and properly place a napkin on your lap as he shared a meal with you. 

 In his early years, David graduated from John Caroll High School and was a member of the 1970 Fort Pierce Central High School state runner-up football team when he was dual enrolled. After failing his first semester of college, his father told him “Son, you are clearly not a scholar, go get on a tractor.” David spent the rest of his life becoming a respected tomato farmer and pillar of the agriculture community. David started farming and packing tomatoes at the Fort Pierce Farmer’s Market with his father and brothers. In the late 1970’s, Roy, Dick, Kenneth and David established Big Red Tomato Packers. 

 When David married Betty in 1974, they started Neill’s Farm U-pick on Jenkins Road in Fort Pierce. Generations of locals, schoolchildren, families and friends have fond memories of picking strawberries and tomatoes at the U-Pick. David would tell anyone that would listen, “when you gripe about the farmer, don’t talk with your mouth full.” As important as farming was to David, he would not eat a tomato but always encouraged you to order double at a restaurant. David and Betty were constantly hosting those blessed to know them. Sharing with others and the community was part of David’s DNA. He loved to give back to teach the importance of agriculture to the next generation. In recent years, along with his brother Dick, David started Neillco Cattle, a successful cow calf operation in west Fort Pierce. Riding the land with Jock (or anyone else that would get in his truck) to look at the cows was a daily source of enjoyment for David. Although highly successful in business, his biggest accomplishment in his cherished sixty-nine years was his family and close friendships. 

 As a farmer and cattle rancher, David planted the seeds for much more in life than the next crop and raised more than cattle. His children’s friends felt as if they were family and never wanted to leave his house. He was loved and admired deeply. David never met a stranger and was always willing to listen and lend advice. 

 To know David was to love him; to know David was also to wonder what joke he was going to pull next. David enjoyed life, was full of humor, and enjoyed telling waitresses that he didn’t drink sweet tea because he was sweet enough. He most lovingly enjoyed eating Betty’s cornbread, a bowl of soup with cottage cheese, his early morning Carter’s breakfast club, Thanksgiving morning hunts with the men at Adams Ranch, reading books, watching westerns, watching Fox News, greasing door handles, giving wet willies, throwing real or fake snakes at you, playing craps and gin at Big Red, throwing Super Bowl parties, farming in South Carolina with his cousins, spending time at Chechessee, and canning tomato parties. He is the only person to charter a helicopter to a Miami Dolphins game with box seats only to forget the tickets at home and buy scalped tickets to sit in the nosebleed section. 

 David served as President of the Florida Tomato Exchange, President of the Florida Tomato Committee, Director of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Committee, Director of Florida Farmers, Inc, President of Fort Pierce USDA Advisory Board, and on the Board of Directors at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. He also served as President of the Gold Coast Cutting Horse Association. 

 David’s legacy lives on through his family. He leaves behind the love of his life for 50 years, Betty Neill. He will be immeasurably missed by his children Ronald Bell (Java), Leslie Golan (Yali), Erin Cox (Bart), Rowan Neill, Michael Neill (Rachel), Mary-Caitlyn Draper (Sean). David was the proud grandfather to Erica Wheeler, Emily Bell, Chloe Golan, Elan Golan, Robert James “RJ” Neill. David is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Richard, Kenneth, Robert, and sister Patricia.

 David’s life and legacy will be celebrated with a Christian Mass at St. Anastasia Catholic Church at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 5, 2024, where he will then be honored immediately after with a Christian Burial at White City Cemetery. Friends and family are invited to the Pelican Yacht Club to share stories and enjoy a meal (and/or a drink) where David will be remembered with a smile. 

 Those that wish to honor David’s memory are invited to make a memorial contribution to the Memorial Foundation - Cancer Institute https://www.mhs.net/give-back/memorial-foundation, St. Anastasia Church https://stanastasiachurch.org/church, or the Florida Sherriffs Youth Ranches https://www.youthranches.org/.