Marie Nieves Neal

After a prolonged battle fighting various health issues, including dementia, María Nieves Neal (age 86) passed into the arms of her Savior on October 14, 2025 in Aiken, SC, with family by her side. María was born on May 5,1939, in Villacañas, Spain, the youngest of five siblings, to Alejandro Luis Sánchez Fernández-Pedraza and María del Pilar Zaragoza-García.

From the age of 3 to 20 María (known as Marie to many friends and family) grew up in the beautiful and historic city of Toledo, Spain. She received her teaching certificate from the local Magisterio (Teacher Training College). It was in Toledo that she met her future husband, Terrence R. Neal, while he was in the US Air Force. After three years of dating, at the ages of 20 and 22 respectively, they married in Madrid, Spain. She bravely left her home country, traveled to the United States, where she learned English fluently, raised four children, learned American culture, and taught her children about their Spanish heritage.

While maybe not someone with a natural bent towards adventure or risk taking, she showed great courage in moving across the ocean to start a new life with her husband, first in the US and then later moving with the entire family of six to Brazil, Korea, and back to Spain over a 13 year period. After returning to the US in 1986, she lived in Pittsburgh, before settling with her husband in Aiken, SC, where she swore she would never move again!

From an early age Maríe stood out for her innate sense of classy, elegant style. Her eye for beauty and design also extended to include her home. Every time her family moved, especially overseas, she would find interesting and beautiful ways to decorate her home with furniture and art from different countries.

She loved the “I Love Lucy Show”, Jack LaLanne, and a wide variety of music from Mocedades, Rocío Durcal, and Helen Reddy to Eydie Gormé and Ottmar Liebert.

Marie is survived by her husband, Terry, their children Kathy (Dan), Terry Jr, Laura, and Michael; grandchildren Connor (Amanda), Tylar, Kenzie, Kayla, Christian, Alexander, Juliet, Bailey, Brooke, and Presley, and many nieces and nephews in Spain.

Marie has been cremated and Terry will return to Spain with her ashes to reunite her with her home country, where she will be buried in her family mausoleum. Currently, no local services are planned.

In lieu of flowers, please make online gifts in memory of María Neal to the Dementia Society of America (www.DementiaSociety.org/donate) or to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org).

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SHELLHOUSE – RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715