Matthew Michael McNeill

1951 - 2022

McNeill

Matthew Michael McNeill

Our beloved Matt passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at his home on December 3, 2022. Born January 10, 1951, in Washington, DC, he was the youngest of Kaye and Paul's three children. Following graduation from St. John's High School in 1968, he attended the University of Tennessee. He met Mana in 1973 while completing his Master's in Public Administration at American University, and they married in 1976 in Dahlgren Chapel at Georgetown University. Their deep love for one another was evident throughout their marriage. In those years, Matt enjoyed time with family and friends, especially nephews and nieces, played on numerous sports teams, and was an avid runner, completing the Marine Corps Marathon in 1999. Matt was famous in his circle for his spirited dancing, coming alive on the dance floor. With two high school friends, he started the first of several business ventures, the courier service Fleet Feet, where he employed numerous family members, friends, and others who just needed a second chance. A jack of all trades, Matt later started a general contracting business, and his meticulously crafted projects were lauded by clients.



When his children Andrew (1987), Ivana (1989), and Cy (1993) arrived on the scene, Matt was a model dad and husband. He became the co-op dad in preschool, chauffeur, coach of their many sports teams, and biggest fan. Throughout his life, he was the family's calm center. He instituted daily family dinners, cooking enough food for the inevitable dinner guests he welcomed to the table. His easy way and quiet acts of service made him a father figure to many. He loved being a dad, and in recent years he multiplied that joy as the grandfather of three adoring girls. His love extended to his family's many dogs (including strays who adopted him), eight in total over the years, and his two grand-dogs. On Saturday afternoons you could often find Matt on the couch, one or two dogs next to him, and extended family nearby, loudly cheering his beloved Tennessee Volunteers.



Matt is survived by his wife of 46 years, Mana; children Andrew (Faith), Ivana (Sean Fagan), and Cy; granddaughters Maddie and Isla McNeill and Eliza Fagan; brother Jim; sister-in-law Meta Zebot; brothers-in-law Cy Zebot (Debbie) and Francis Zebot (Nancy Wiggers); nephews Tristan, Julian, Ryan, and Tony; nieces Tifenn, Janel, Dinah, Maren, and Mary Katherine; numerous cousins and great nephews and nieces. Matt was predeceased by his sister Micheleen McNeill and her son Alex Watson and by brother-in-law Jeffrey Price.



A celebration of Matt's life will be held in early January. Donations can be made in Matt's name to CareerCatchers, Inc. https://careercatchers.org/donate/