Donald Neal

Donald K. Neal, 64, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Mount Vernon, died of natural causes, Wednesday, December 15, 2004, while hunting in rural Mount Vernon. Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday (12-20-04) in Morgan Funeral and Cremation Choices Mount Vernon Chapel by the Reverend Emory Gillespie. The family will receive friends Sunday, from 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Burial Mount Vernon Memorial Cemetery with military rites. Surviving Don are his wife Diana at home, his children: Mitch Mixon of Kingsland, Georgia, Jon Neal, Jeff Neal, Aaron (Monica) Chapman all of Cedar Rapids, and Bryce (Kelli) Chapman of Mount Vernon; six grandchildren with one on the way: Courtney Mixon of Orange Park, Florida, Christopher Mixon and Colin Mixon of Jacksonville, Florida, Breyona and Aubree of Mount Vernon, and his "Sunshine" Payton Chapman of Cedar Rapids. Also surviving are his mother Helen of Mount Vernon, five siblings: Richard (Marilyn) of Cedar Rapids, Gary (Joanne) of Newport Beach, California, Ken (Kathy) of Mount Vernon, Sandy (Ron) Williams of Cedar Rapids, Russ (Barb) of Lisbon, and many nieces and nephews He was preceded in death by his father Denny on September 30, 2004, his aunt Dorothy Neal Wilson on Monday, grandparents: Ben and Bess Burt Neal, Joe and Mame Beranek Pitlik. Don was born August 31, 1940, in Cedar Rapids, the second child of Denny and Helen Pitlik Neal. He grew up on the Irish Lane family farm in Mount Vernon, graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1958 where he was an all conference football player. Don served in the U. S. Navy from 1959 to 1962 on the USS Denabola in the Mediterranean. Following an Honorable Discharge, he became a member of the Iron Workers Union Local No. 89 of Cedar Rapids in 1967, retiring as a general foreman in August of 2002. He married Candy Coquillette; they later divorced. He married Diana L. Dietzman Chapman on February 10, 1990 in Marion. Don was active in 4-H and FFA. He was president of the Cedar Valley Trail Riders motocross club for many years, and especially enjoyed being a "pit dad" for Jon and Jeff. Don was a "former officer" J and current member of the Cedar Rapids Corvette Club. He loved his Corvettes! Don's hobbies included being an avid "mole chaser", hunter, and fisherman. He enjoyed all sports, especially the Iowa Hawkeyes and Nascar Racing - if it had tires, he watched it. He took great pleasure in eating, wishing there were sideboards on the plates. A special thanks to all the volunteers, fire, rescue, Law Enforcement, and Civil Air Patrol, friends and neighbors for their dedication and assistance. In lieu of plants a memorial fund in Don's honor has been established.