Dr. James W. H. Neil

Dr. James Wellington Harry Neil, age 82, of Ottawa, passed away Sunday, January 11, 2009 at his home. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Thursday at Christ Episcopal Church of Ottawa with Fr. John Crist officiating. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. with a Prayer Service at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday at Gladfelter Funeral Home. A second visitation will be held Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. EST at Williams Funeral Home, Ontario, Canada with a graveside service to follow in St. James Cemetery in Clandeboye, Ontario. Dr. Neil was born July 24, 1926 in Lucan, Ontario, Canada to Harry and Pearl (Whiteford) Neil. He married Janyce Martin November 18, 1950 in St. Thomas, Ontario. She preceded him in death February 15, 1990. He later married JoAnn M. (Nelson) Richardson on July 23, 1992. Surviving is his wife, JoAnn; children, Cherokee Ann Neil of Bradenton, FL and Martin James (Regina) Neil of Medford, NJ; step-children, Julie (Nicholas) Tabor of Ottawa, Mara Long of Lake Forest, Kristen (Paul) Borth of Glenview and Laura (Nathan) Utz of Chicago. Other survivors include sisters, Marian (Eamon) Crowley of Vancouver and Marjorie Matthewson of Toronto; grandchildren, Molly Ann (Shawn) Blobaum, Tyanna Reene (Christopher) Barnes, Ian Douglas (Kelly) Enger and Troy Martin (Dana) Neil; great-grandchildren, Danny Enger and Mallory Barnes; step-grandchildren, Nicholas Tabor, IV, Erica and Natalie Tabor, Margaret Jo, Robert Emmett, Brennan and Reagan Long, Paul Borth, Jr., John Richardson and Olivia Borth and Carter Utz. Dr. Neil served in the Canadian Army from 1945-46. He graduated from the University of Toronto Veterinary School in 1951 and worked as a veterinarian in Ottawa from 1951-1953. He practiced in St. Thomas from 1953-1954 and returned to Ottawa and built and operated the Ottawa Veterinary Hospital from which he retired in 1998. He was a lifetime member of the American, Illinois, and Chicago Veterinarians Associations as well as the Northern Illinois Veterinary Medicine Association. He also belonged to the International and Fox Valley Safari Clubs, Christ Episcopal Church of Ottawa, and the Omega Tau Sigma veterinary fraternity. He was a member of the Occidental Masonic Lodge #40, was a 32nd degree Mason with York and Scottish Rites and was a member of the Mohammed Shrine Club and the Benevolent Protective Order of the Elk's Lodge 588 in Ottawa. Memorial contributions may be directed to Christ Episcopal Church of Ottawa.