William A. Neel

William Alfred Neel, 71, of Newberry died Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

Born on April 4, 1954, in Newberry, he was a son of the late Louise Dorroh and Gilder M. Neel, Sr.

William attended Bush River School, graduated from Newberry High School and later graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

He was a life-long member of Smyrna Presbyterian Church. In his younger years, he played on several of the church-league teams and was especially good at basketball. After college, he returned home to his Newberry community and began working on the family farm. William always enjoyed hunting and fishing, his Clemson Tigers, and Mrs. Shirley’s Sunday lunches.

He is survived by his brother, James Neel, Sr. (Jo Ann); sister-in-law, Rosalind P. Neel; nieces, Debra N. Holliday (David) and Kathy N. Montgomery (Sean); nephews, Bert Neel (Melissa) and Scott Neel (Cortney); and numerous great nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother, Gilder M. Neel, Jr.

Graveside funeral services will be conducted by Rev. Jim Wilkerson at 3:00 PM, Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Smyrna Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to Smyrna Presbyterian Church, Cemetery Fund, 32 Smyrna Road, Newberry SC 29108; or to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

The family would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to Terry Longshore for being such a great friend to William over the years.

Whitaker Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of William A. Neel.