Obituary for Frank Alexander McNeill

Frank Alexander McNeill, 92, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend, died Aug. 27, 2020, at his home in Aberdeen, N.C., surrounded by loved ones, after living a full and wonderful life.

He was born May 17, 1928, at his family’s home on Summit Street in Aberdeen. He was the son of W.H. McNeill and Ella Brewer McNeill. Frank had one brother, W.H. Jr., and four sisters, Catherine, Margaret, Dorothy, and Ella Ruth, all who preceded him in death.

Frank, his parents, and his siblings faithfully attended Sunday School and church at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen. When a heart attack slowed his father for a couple of years in the early 1940s, Frank began delivering oil at age 14 for his father’s business, McNeill Oil Company.

Frank attended Aberdeen High School, where he played basketball and baseball. He graduated from AHS in 1946.

Frank earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1950. At Carolina, he was a member of the swimming team his sophomore and junior years, and a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. He enjoyed attending all the home football games and most of the away games, cheering on Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice and the Tar Heels, and he enjoyed watching classmate Andy Griffith perform in campus plays.

In the fall of 1950, Frank was drafted into the U.S. Army. His basic training was at Ft. Jackson near Columbia, S.C. Frank was then stationed in Washington, D.C., at Ft. Belvoir, and later was stationed at an Air Force base in England for about seven months in 1952.

Following his military service, he returned to Aberdeen and worked at McNeill Oil Company. He delivered oil to tobacco farmers and for home heating, and gasoline to service stations. When his father retired, Frank became president of the company and served in that leadership role until his own “retirement” – though he continued to keep his eye on the business. Frank made good business decisions over the years that enabled the company to grow and prosper.

Frank married the love of his life, Ann Jordan, at Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, on March 31, 1955. They were blessed with four children: Frank Alexander Jr., David Jordan, Mary Catherine, and Laurie Ann.

Frank was a Boy Scout Troop Leader in the 1950s, and he was a strong supporter of Scouting his entire life. Both of his sons, Frank Jr. and David, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

At Bethesda, Frank was a deacon, and later an elder, and was president of the Men of the Church. In the Fayetteville Presbytery, he served as moderator as well as chair of the Camp Monroe Committee. He also served on the Synod personnel committee.

He always supported his children’s activities at school and church. In 1972, when Frank learned that Camp Monroe’s senior high conference had been canceled, he took the initiative to help organize the weeklong camp for high school students. He recruited counselors and he volunteered to be a counselor, as well. The camp was enthusiastically attended by young people throughout the Presbytery. One of the campers, Julie Gaw, said in the camp’s newsletter, “Camp Monroe is going barefoot while the rest of the world is wearing shoes.” A joyful week, indeed.

Frank was elected to the Aberdeen town board, and during that time was assigned responsibility for the Police Department and the Water Department. He was the first chair of the board of the Moore County Parks & Recreation Department.

He was a member of the Mason Roman Eagle Lodge No. 550 for 70 years and was a member of the Aberdeen Lion’s Club for 67 years.

Frank received the Will Parker Award from the N.C. Petroleum Marketers Association in 1995 in recognition of his lifetime of service in the oil industry in North Carolina. He received the Distinguished Citizen Award in 2008 by the Dogwood District of the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Frank enjoyed traveling with Ann, especially family trips as the children were growing up. In later years, Ann and he enjoyed global travel, with Scotland a favorite destination. Ann and Frank celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in 2018.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife, Ann, and he is survived by their children Frank Jr. (Susan), David (Caprice), Mary K. (Richard Darby), Laurie (Lisa Gollihue); six grandchildren (Morgan, Meredith, Jonathan, Aubrey, Katherine, and Lillian Quinn), three great-grandchildren (Triston, Joseph, and Henry); and nine nieces and nephews (Billy, Cheri, Johnny, Robert, Carol, Cathy, Davis, Anna, and Paul).

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at Old Bethesda Cemetery in Aberdeen. A memorial service celebrating Frank’s life will be held in spring 2021 at Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethesda Presbyterian Church Elevator Fund, 1002 N. Sandhills Blvd., Aberdeen, NC 28315. 

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