Loren J. Neal, 51, son of Lance and Jessie Neal, was born Nov. 9, 1966, in Houston, Mo. He passed away March 15, 2018, in St. Louis, Mo., after a long battle with cancer.
Loren was preceded in death by his grandparents Wayne Collins and Nolan and Delia Neal. He is survived by his wife, Kerry, and their son, McAlister, of Crestwood, Mo.; his son, Lane Neal, of Winchester, Va.; his parents, Lance and Jessie Neal, sister, Rhonda Neal, and his grandmother, “Ma” Hartis Collins, all of Houston, Mo. He is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Loren’s family was extremely important to him. He tried to spend as much time with them as possible and frequently told them that he loved them. He also had a large circle of friends that he cared about and loved. He was always helping both family and friends with projects such as fencing, flooring, and crown molding while providing teachable moments.
Loren’s love for learning to play guitar came later. He had an insatiable interest for anything to do with music, as well as talking endlessly about singers, songwriters, guitarists and their guitars. He appreciated a diverse group of artists that included AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Chris Stapleton, Steve Earle and Vince Gill.
Loren worked as a carpenter on such projects as the Meramec Bluffs Senior Living Community, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the Tom Sauk and Olmsted Dams, and more recently he worked as a safety inspector on one of the pipelines in Kansas/Oklahoma. Along the way he made more friends, since he never met a stranger.
Loren will be remembered for the high wattage smile that lit up his face and the twinkle in his eyes that hinted at his mischievous nature.
Loren will be cremated and a celebration of life will be held on June 23, 2018, at the home of his parents in Houston, Mo. Donations can be made to Kids Rock Cancer at kidsrockcancer.org.
PAID
