Albert Verne "A.V." Neeley passed away at the age of 96 on Jan. 31, 2016, at home in Normal.
He was born April 30, 1919 to Verne and Sidney Brown Neeley. He attended Washington School, Bloomington High School and Illinois State University.
Neeley was proudest of the contribution he made to his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and later transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained as a bomber pilot. During World War II, he flew C-46 aircraft transporting troops and combat cargo to India and Burma. These missions were, more often than not, single plane flights without fighter escort. It was for these missions that he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After his tours of duty he continued as a reservist, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his military service, he began a career in the sale of lumber and building materials and later sold real estate.
He was married to Margaret Gorman from Trinidad, Colorado. They raised three sons, James, Michael and Scott, and was the grandfather of Christopher Michael Neeley. He was a member of St. Mathew's Episcopal Church. A.V. was also interested in photography, golf and music. His sons remember that their house was filled with the latest sounds from jazz to bossa nova to Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
After retiring, he enjoyed his routines and cherished the company of a close group of great friends, including Paula Sweeney, Dick Primm and the Robert Connelly family, who congregated regularly at The Coffeehouse in Normal. His quick wit, warmth, generosity and sometimes crankiness were his trademarks. A quote by English satirist Douglas Adams could have been written by Neeley himself: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Published in the Bloomington, Il. Pantagraph
He was born April 30, 1919 to Verne and Sidney Brown Neeley. He attended Washington School, Bloomington High School and Illinois State University.
Neeley was proudest of the contribution he made to his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and later transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained as a bomber pilot. During World War II, he flew C-46 aircraft transporting troops and combat cargo to India and Burma. These missions were, more often than not, single plane flights without fighter escort. It was for these missions that he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After his tours of duty he continued as a reservist, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his military service, he began a career in the sale of lumber and building materials and later sold real estate.
He was married to Margaret Gorman from Trinidad, Colorado. They raised three sons, James, Michael and Scott, and was the grandfather of Christopher Michael Neeley. He was a member of St. Mathew's Episcopal Church. A.V. was also interested in photography, golf and music. His sons remember that their house was filled with the latest sounds from jazz to bossa nova to Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
After retiring, he enjoyed his routines and cherished the company of a close group of great friends, including Paula Sweeney, Dick Primm and the Robert Connelly family, who congregated regularly at The Coffeehouse in Normal. His quick wit, warmth, generosity and sometimes crankiness were his trademarks. A quote by English satirist Douglas Adams could have been written by Neeley himself: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Published in the Bloomington, Il. Pantagraph
Albert Verne "A.V." Neeley passed away at the age of 96 on Jan. 31, 2016, at home in Normal.
He was born April 30, 1919 to Verne and Sidney Brown Neeley. He attended Washington School, Bloomington High School and Illinois State University.
Neeley was proudest of the contribution he made to his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and later transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained as a bomber pilot. During World War II, he flew C-46 aircraft transporting troops and combat cargo to India and Burma. These missions were, more often than not, single plane flights without fighter escort. It was for these missions that he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After his tours of duty he continued as a reservist, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his military service, he began a career in the sale of lumber and building materials and later sold real estate.
He was married to Margaret Gorman from Trinidad, Colorado. They raised three sons, James, Michael and Scott, and was the grandfather of Christopher Michael Neeley. He was a member of St. Mathew's Episcopal Church. A.V. was also interested in photography, golf and music. His sons remember that their house was filled with the latest sounds from jazz to bossa nova to Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
After retiring, he enjoyed his routines and cherished the company of a close group of great friends, including Paula Sweeney, Dick Primm and the Robert Connelly family, who congregated regularly at The Coffeehouse in Normal. His quick wit, warmth, generosity and sometimes crankiness were his trademarks. A quote by English satirist Douglas Adams could have been written by Neeley himself: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Published in the Bloomington, Il. Pantagraph
He was born April 30, 1919 to Verne and Sidney Brown Neeley. He attended Washington School, Bloomington High School and Illinois State University.
Neeley was proudest of the contribution he made to his country. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and later transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps where he trained as a bomber pilot. During World War II, he flew C-46 aircraft transporting troops and combat cargo to India and Burma. These missions were, more often than not, single plane flights without fighter escort. It was for these missions that he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After his tours of duty he continued as a reservist, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After his military service, he began a career in the sale of lumber and building materials and later sold real estate.
He was married to Margaret Gorman from Trinidad, Colorado. They raised three sons, James, Michael and Scott, and was the grandfather of Christopher Michael Neeley. He was a member of St. Mathew's Episcopal Church. A.V. was also interested in photography, golf and music. His sons remember that their house was filled with the latest sounds from jazz to bossa nova to Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
After retiring, he enjoyed his routines and cherished the company of a close group of great friends, including Paula Sweeney, Dick Primm and the Robert Connelly family, who congregated regularly at The Coffeehouse in Normal. His quick wit, warmth, generosity and sometimes crankiness were his trademarks. A quote by English satirist Douglas Adams could have been written by Neeley himself: "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Published in the Bloomington, Il. Pantagraph
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