Robert Frederick Neal Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Robert Frederick Neal (Bob) of West Hartford died peacefully on 1 July 2022 surrounded by his family, following a short illness. Bob is survived by his wife of 55 years, Regina (Murphy) Neal; daughter Kathleen Neal of West Hartford; son PJ Neal, daughter-in-law Jennifer, and grandson Hunter of Waltham, MA; and sister Carolyn (Neal) Van Zandbergen of Daphne, AL. He was preceded in death by his parents and son, Robert F. Neal, Jr. Bob was born in Scotia, NY (15 February 1935) to Frederick N. Neal and Edith (Johanson) Neal, and was the older brother to Carolyn. Bob enjoyed spending summers in a rented cabin on Lake Champlain (no small feat in the age of gas rationing!), where his love of nature emerged. Days were spent swimming with Carolyn, fishing with his dad, and picnicking with the family. He left NY to attend UConn, from which he graduated with a degree in business administration in 1956. Bob worked as a salesman for Southern New England Telephone (SNET) after college before being drafted in 1958 and completing two years of army service in Alaska. Afterwards, he returned to Connecticut – and to SNET – for what would be a 38-year career comprised of 25 different assignments, ultimately rising to the level of Senior Vice President. He was revered for his intellect, leadership, counsel, and future vision. Reflecting on being with one company for his entire career, he later said “I was so busy learning each new area that I rarely thought about leaving!” In addition to his work with SNET, Bob was a director of Connecticut Water Services, Connecticut Economic Development Corporation, the American School for the Deaf, and other corporate and nonprofit boards. A lover of the arts, Bob served on and chaired the board of trustees at Goodspeed Musicals for a number of years, well into retirement, and never missed a show. Goodspeed was one of the rare examples of when he broke his golden rule to never bring work home – the house was often filled with showtunes, either from a CD or his own whistling (which his kids knew meant they were catching him in a good mood!). As dedicated as Bob was to his career, he was ‘the most happy fella’ when at home with his wife, children, daughter-in-law and grandson. Bob’s 28-year retirement – his ‘glorious schedule-free days’ – was comprised of his biggest joys: spending time with Regina and the family; reading prolifically; watching Yankees, Patriots, and UConn basketball games; driving with the convertible top down; and being in Regina’s garden working on his summer tan. Visiting hours will be held at Molloy Funeral Home in West Hartford on Sunday, 17 July 2022, from 12:30pm-2:00pm followed by a memorial service at 2:30pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT (goodspeed.org).

Robert Frederick Neal

July 1, 2022