James Roger Neeley's Obituary
James R. Neeley 1926 - 2013 James (Jim) passed away at his Lacey, WA home on July 21, 2013 at the age of 86. Jim was born in Fort Worth, TX on December 9, 1926 to James and Maude Neeley. When Jim was 9 months old his family moved to southern California. Jim was raised in El Centro, CA, Yuma, AZ, and San Diego, CA, where he graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in 1945. During his time living in El Centro, Jim played semi-pro baseball with the Boston Braves farm team in the Sunset League from 1945 to 1948. In 1949
Jim was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he was stationed at Fort Bliss, TX and Fort Lewis, WA until his discharge in 1951. While serving at Fort Lewis Jim met the love of his life, Lillian (Lil) Clesson, at a downtown Tacoma bowling alley on February 22, 1950, and they were married on May 21, 1950. Jim and Lil made Tacoma their home where Jim went to work for Lil's brother as a roofer. In 1958 Jim joined the Tacoma Police Department and retired as a Sergeant in 1975. Jim later became a painting contractor and started his own painting business which he operated until 1981. In 1985, Jim and Lil moved to El Centro, CA, where they enjoyed the sunshine, traveling in their RV and playing golf together. In 1994 they moved back to Washington, where they settled in the town of Allyn and later moved to Lacey. In 2005 Lil suffered a stroke and Jim gently cared for her until her death in January, 2013. He was a loving husband, father, brother, and grandfather. Jim is survived by his three sons, Michael, Rick, and Bryan, two sisters, Linda Neeley and Jane Young, 9 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, 2 nieces, and 5 nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Mountain View Memorial Park Monday, July 29, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. with a graveside service at 10:30 a.m.
Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home.
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