Charles was an Episcopal priest who combined an energetic ministry with a tireless community activism and left an indelible imprint on health care in Corvallis. He initially came to Corvallis in 1943 to serve as chaplain at Camp Adair, an Army training base for WWII soldiers. In addition to his role as chaplain at Camp Adair Charles was also the pastor of the Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, a post he held until his retirement in 1981.
When Charles arrived in Corvallis he inherited a small wooden church downtown that eventually became too confining for his expanding congregation. In 1961, it was replaced by the much larger building in use today at 333 N.W. 35th St., while the old building was moved to Central Park and now serves as the Corvallis Art Center. Much of that growth of the church has been credited to Charles' personal leadership and popularity. At the age of 32, Charles was the recipient of the 1948 Junior First Citizen Award, an individual award given by the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce to honor a prominent, young, up-and-coming community leader. Another effort spearheaded by Charles was the construction of Samaritan Village, an 84-unit retirement complex for low-income seniors that opened next door to the church in 1965. He took an active role in civic affairs, becoming part of an unofficial citizens' group known as "the dirty dozen" whose work in the 1940s and '50s resulted in a number of new parks and the fluoridation of the city's water supply.
Never was that leadership more significant than in the fight to save the local hospital. In the years after World War II, Corvallis General Hospital was on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to pay off its bonds. Charles helped bring together church members, timber company owners, downtown merchants and service clubs in an effort to retire the debt and bring the hospital under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. In 1948, Corvallis General was reconstituted as a nonprofit organization and renamed Good Samaritan Hospital. When Good Sam outgrew its aging brick building on Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Charles was instrumental in securing farmland for a new hospital north of town, which opened in 1975. The hospital has continued to thrive. Now known as Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. In 1988, the Charles S. Neville Medical Office Building at the Medical Center was named for him. Charles was very moved by this honor. In 1993 he received the Oregon State University Distinguished Service Award. The award was established by the Board of Trustees in 1952 to recognize individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the university.
Charles first married Mary Jeanette Sargent who had been raised in the Sherman County area near Wasco, Oregon. Mary and Charles had four children, Paul, Arthur, Jane and Ann. Arthur moved to Anchorage Alaska while the others made their homes in Oregon. In 2010 Jane died of cancer. Mary died in 1970 and Charles married Lydia Parkhurst Mix. Father Charles S. Neville died at the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville, Oregon. He was 90 years old. He was buried beside his first wife, Mary, at Sunrise Cemetery in Wasco.
When Charles arrived in Corvallis he inherited a small wooden church downtown that eventually became too confining for his expanding congregation. In 1961, it was replaced by the much larger building in use today at 333 N.W. 35th St., while the old building was moved to Central Park and now serves as the Corvallis Art Center. Much of that growth of the church has been credited to Charles' personal leadership and popularity. At the age of 32, Charles was the recipient of the 1948 Junior First Citizen Award, an individual award given by the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce to honor a prominent, young, up-and-coming community leader. Another effort spearheaded by Charles was the construction of Samaritan Village, an 84-unit retirement complex for low-income seniors that opened next door to the church in 1965. He took an active role in civic affairs, becoming part of an unofficial citizens' group known as "the dirty dozen" whose work in the 1940s and '50s resulted in a number of new parks and the fluoridation of the city's water supply.
Never was that leadership more significant than in the fight to save the local hospital. In the years after World War II, Corvallis General Hospital was on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to pay off its bonds. Charles helped bring together church members, timber company owners, downtown merchants and service clubs in an effort to retire the debt and bring the hospital under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. In 1948, Corvallis General was reconstituted as a nonprofit organization and renamed Good Samaritan Hospital. When Good Sam outgrew its aging brick building on Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Charles was instrumental in securing farmland for a new hospital north of town, which opened in 1975. The hospital has continued to thrive. Now known as Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. In 1988, the Charles S. Neville Medical Office Building at the Medical Center was named for him. Charles was very moved by this honor. In 1993 he received the Oregon State University Distinguished Service Award. The award was established by the Board of Trustees in 1952 to recognize individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the university.
Charles first married Mary Jeanette Sargent who had been raised in the Sherman County area near Wasco, Oregon. Mary and Charles had four children, Paul, Arthur, Jane and Ann. Arthur moved to Anchorage Alaska while the others made their homes in Oregon. In 2010 Jane died of cancer. Mary died in 1970 and Charles married Lydia Parkhurst Mix. Father Charles S. Neville died at the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville, Oregon. He was 90 years old. He was buried beside his first wife, Mary, at Sunrise Cemetery in Wasco.
Charles was an Episcopal priest who combined an energetic ministry with a tireless community activism and left an indelible imprint on health care in Corvallis. He initially came to Corvallis in 1943 to serve as chaplain at Camp Adair, an Army training base for WWII soldiers. In addition to his role as chaplain at Camp Adair Charles was also the pastor of the Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, a post he held until his retirement in 1981.
When Charles arrived in Corvallis he inherited a small wooden church downtown that eventually became too confining for his expanding congregation. In 1961, it was replaced by the much larger building in use today at 333 N.W. 35th St., while the old building was moved to Central Park and now serves as the Corvallis Art Center. Much of that growth of the church has been credited to Charles' personal leadership and popularity. At the age of 32, Charles was the recipient of the 1948 Junior First Citizen Award, an individual award given by the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce to honor a prominent, young, up-and-coming community leader. Another effort spearheaded by Charles was the construction of Samaritan Village, an 84-unit retirement complex for low-income seniors that opened next door to the church in 1965. He took an active role in civic affairs, becoming part of an unofficial citizens' group known as "the dirty dozen" whose work in the 1940s and '50s resulted in a number of new parks and the fluoridation of the city's water supply.
Never was that leadership more significant than in the fight to save the local hospital. In the years after World War II, Corvallis General Hospital was on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to pay off its bonds. Charles helped bring together church members, timber company owners, downtown merchants and service clubs in an effort to retire the debt and bring the hospital under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. In 1948, Corvallis General was reconstituted as a nonprofit organization and renamed Good Samaritan Hospital. When Good Sam outgrew its aging brick building on Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Charles was instrumental in securing farmland for a new hospital north of town, which opened in 1975. The hospital has continued to thrive. Now known as Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. In 1988, the Charles S. Neville Medical Office Building at the Medical Center was named for him. Charles was very moved by this honor. In 1993 he received the Oregon State University Distinguished Service Award. The award was established by the Board of Trustees in 1952 to recognize individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the university.
Charles first married Mary Jeanette Sargent who had been raised in the Sherman County area near Wasco, Oregon. Mary and Charles had four children, Paul, Arthur, Jane and Ann. Arthur moved to Anchorage Alaska while the others made their homes in Oregon. In 2010 Jane died of cancer. Mary died in 1970 and Charles married Lydia Parkhurst Mix. Father Charles S. Neville died at the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville, Oregon. He was 90 years old. He was buried beside his first wife, Mary, at Sunrise Cemetery in Wasco.
When Charles arrived in Corvallis he inherited a small wooden church downtown that eventually became too confining for his expanding congregation. In 1961, it was replaced by the much larger building in use today at 333 N.W. 35th St., while the old building was moved to Central Park and now serves as the Corvallis Art Center. Much of that growth of the church has been credited to Charles' personal leadership and popularity. At the age of 32, Charles was the recipient of the 1948 Junior First Citizen Award, an individual award given by the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce to honor a prominent, young, up-and-coming community leader. Another effort spearheaded by Charles was the construction of Samaritan Village, an 84-unit retirement complex for low-income seniors that opened next door to the church in 1965. He took an active role in civic affairs, becoming part of an unofficial citizens' group known as "the dirty dozen" whose work in the 1940s and '50s resulted in a number of new parks and the fluoridation of the city's water supply.
Never was that leadership more significant than in the fight to save the local hospital. In the years after World War II, Corvallis General Hospital was on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to pay off its bonds. Charles helped bring together church members, timber company owners, downtown merchants and service clubs in an effort to retire the debt and bring the hospital under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon. In 1948, Corvallis General was reconstituted as a nonprofit organization and renamed Good Samaritan Hospital. When Good Sam outgrew its aging brick building on Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Charles was instrumental in securing farmland for a new hospital north of town, which opened in 1975. The hospital has continued to thrive. Now known as Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. In 1988, the Charles S. Neville Medical Office Building at the Medical Center was named for him. Charles was very moved by this honor. In 1993 he received the Oregon State University Distinguished Service Award. The award was established by the Board of Trustees in 1952 to recognize individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the university.
Charles first married Mary Jeanette Sargent who had been raised in the Sherman County area near Wasco, Oregon. Mary and Charles had four children, Paul, Arthur, Jane and Ann. Arthur moved to Anchorage Alaska while the others made their homes in Oregon. In 2010 Jane died of cancer. Mary died in 1970 and Charles married Lydia Parkhurst Mix. Father Charles S. Neville died at the Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville, Oregon. He was 90 years old. He was buried beside his first wife, Mary, at Sunrise Cemetery in Wasco.
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