Charles Olen Neal

Charles was born in Can-ton, Pa., the son of Bertha Mae Kilmer Neal and Carl Neal. Graduating from Fre-donia High School in 1952, he served for four years in the U.S. Air Force, sta-tioned in Langerkopf, Ger-many as a radar technician. Afterwards he was em-ployed with National Fuel Gas in Dunkirk for 38 years. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church where he was an elder.

A member of the Ameri-can Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, he was also a mason. Even after leaving the U.S. Air Force, his love for airplanes continued as he would en-joy flying and rebuilding planes, completely rebuild-ing his own airplane. Charles was also interested in national politics.

Charles is survived by his loving wife, Marion (Huyck) Neal, whom he married on Nov. 11, 1995 in Hawaii at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church; brothers: Ralph (Vicky) Neal of Wilson, N.C. and Jerry (Nancy) Neal of Fre-donia; sister, Patricia Weakley of Avon, Ohio; children: Mitchell (late Jeanine) Neal of Fairfax, Va., Bruce (late Karen) Neal of Westfield, Thomas (Diane) Neal of Silver Creek; stepson, Mark (Michele) Diefenbach of Eden; grandchildren: Danielle (Brandon) Neal Thompson of Durham, N.C., Emily Neal of Fair-fax, Va., Nicholas Neal of Westfield, Mallory Diefen-bach of Batavia, and David Diefenbach of Eden; great–grandchild, Maya Thomp-son of Durham, N.C.

In addition to his parents, Charles is predeceased by his sister, Elaine (the late Robert) Moll of James-town; and his son, Daniel Neal.

Following the guidelines and protocols administered by the governor of New York, a service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, in St. Paul Lutheran Church, 334 Temple St., Fredonia with burial immediately following at Sanders’ Cemetery in Perrysburg.

Funeral arrangements handled by McGraw Kowal Funeral Home, 736 Central Ave., Dunkirk.