Graveside services for Walter Paul McNeal, 86, of Valdosta, were held Tuesday, March 30, at Sunset Hill Cemetery with the Rev. David Tart officiating.
Mr. McNeal passed away Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Born Aug. 22, 1934, in Valdosta, he was the son of the late Ivey Lee and Maude Eva McNeal. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Brinkley Laws McNeal; three sisters, Elva Lee Jones, Eva Bell Lewis, and Retha Wright; brother, Lee McNeal; niece, Linda Jones Hiers; and grandchild, Ryan Alexander Braswell.
Mr. McNeal grew up in Valdosta and was a Valdosta Wildcat, playing for their football team from 1950-1954. He graduated from Brenau College with a bachelor's degree. He worked for the Georgia Department of Corrections for over 30 years, spending many years in Alto before retiring from the Valdosta location. Mr. McNeal was a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Churches of Cornelia and Valdosta, and a current member of First United Methodist Church of Valdosta. He was a proud supporter of VSU athletics.
Survivors include his children and spouses, Paul and Debi McNeal, Tommy and Kim McNeal, Brinkley and Jack Blair, and Dolores and Jody Braswell; grandchildren and their spouses, Andrew and Shelby McNeal, Joshua and Alina McNeal, Emily and Joseph Wetherington, Laura Beth and Elliott Sweat, Randy, Brinkley and Mitchell Blair, and James and Matthew Braswell; great-grandchildren, Brycen and Carver Wetherington, and Tripp and Collins Sweat; brothers and sisters-in-laws, Billy and Cynthia McNeal, and Jimmy and Robin Thompson; nephews and nieces, Larry and Linda Gail Jones, Stanley and Karen Wright, Sandra Kennedy, David Wright, and Donna Hampton; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Eddie and Ruth Laws; sister-in-law, Loudelle Laws, and her daughters, Susie and Dixie Milner; and beloved family friend, Anthony Adams.
Condolences to the family may be conveyed online at mclanecares.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Georgia Sheriff’s Boys Ranch, 5671 Boys Ranch Rd., Hahira, GA 31632, or Paul Anderson Youth Home, P.O. Box 525, Vidalia, GA 30475, or a charity of your choice.