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William Pine Neally

Posted 2022-12-16 by mhenderson
Published by Legacy on Jun. 14, 2022 -

William (Bill) Pine Neally, age 95, passed away peacefully on June 6,
2022, of causes incident with age. William was born in Kirksville,
Missouri, to John Jay Neally and Ellen Edna Bruce. He grew up in
Missouri on a farm during the great depression and enlisted in the Navy
at the beginning of WWII. After boot camp, he was sent to Pearl Harbor
right after the attack. During WWII and the Korean War, he survived five
Pacific invasions. After the wars, when the Apollo 8 Mission space
capsule splashed down in the Pacific, William operated the crane that
pulled the astronauts and space capsule out of the water and onto the
USS Yorktown aircraft carrier.

His Naval career lasted for 22 years. After retiring from the Navy, he
worked as a crane operator for the Navy Public Works in Long Beach,
California; and later in Norfolk, Virginia. He and his wife Geraldine
retired in a home on the river in Edenton, North Carolina. They later
moved to Arizona where they spent their remaining years.

William was preceded in death by his Parents, siblings and wife of 53
years, Geraldine (Thornhill) Neally. Having no children, his legal
guardian and caregiver for many years was his niece, Beverly Ann
(Neally) Crawford. Email: cb922266@gmail.com.

Interment next to his wife in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, will take place
at a later date.

Arrangements were placed into the care of Walker Sanderson funeral home.
Thoughts and condolences may be submitted to the family at:
www.walkersanderson.com



See Also: Find A Grave




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