NEVE SAVAGE

SAVAGE--Neve Richard.

Neve Richard Savage died on December 7th, at his home in Portola Valley, CA. The cause was Prostate Cancer. Neve is survived by Ann, his beloved and loving wife of 45 years, his three beloved children of whom he was so proud, Sarah-Jane, Megan and Truan, his brother, Robert and his daughter-in-law Claire. Neve was born in 1944 in Harrow, England and graduated from St Peter's College, Oxford University with BA and MA degrees in Modern History. He joined the advertising business in London during the "swinging 60s"; he had his suits tailored in the original Carnaby Street. Neve met Ann at Garland- Compton Advertising in 1968; in 1970 they moved to New York City where they were married in 1972 and became U.S. citizens in 1983. For nearly 30 years Neve worked at various international advertising agencies including Compton Advertising, Saatchi-Compton, Cadwell Davis Savage (where Neve was a partner), Wells Rich Greene and Ogilvy & Mather, on some of the world's largest accounts: Procter & Gamble; Pan Am, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, SmithKline Beecham and more. In 1994 Neve joined McCaw Cellular in Seattle which became AT&T Wireless. Thereafter, Neve was one of the original management team that helped build the successful online advertising start up AvenueA/aQuantive, ultimately bought by Microsoft in what, at the time, was their largest ever purchase. Neve spent the last 8 years of his business life as a Vice President at Netflix which he described as the best, most enjoyable and most rewarding job of his career. Neve retired in 2012. Neve was known for his distinguished beard, dry wit, vigorous debate and a treasure chest of bon-mots from which he often provided the appropriate word or comment to lighten, enlighten or end a discussion. Except at home where Ann's last word was always after Neve's--the true last word! Neve's eclectic loves and interests included his family, travel to over 50 countries, history, antique pewter, movies, hiking (he and Ann walked 192 miles across England in 2007), the state, history and people of Vermont where he had a second home for 35 years and where his ashes will be interred, news and newspapers, 50s-60s rock 'n roll, the English language (quotes; epigrams; idioms; cliches; aphorisms, rhyming slang), association football, cricket, rugby and British comedy. The satirical British magazine Private Eye could bring him to tears of laughter. Neve's few dislikes included being late, he or others (on one of Neve and Ann's first dates Neve had left when Ann arrived 10 minutes late though Ann quickly found him and they remained together for 47 timely years); capers and olives; opera, and theater seats that pushed his knees into his chest. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Neve's name to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.