Edward Neel
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Edward 'Ed' Mercer Neel of Hacks Point in Earleville, MD and Tarpon Bay in Port St Lucie, FL passed away suddenly on Friday, December 4, 2020. Ed is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dolores; their five children: Eddie, Jimmy, Kate Richard, Virginia Ferver and DeDe Benson; and 13-grandchildren and 2-great grandchildren.
Ed was born on June 27, 1930 in San Francisco, CA to Eleanor Weister Langlis and grew up in Danville, CA. In 1951, he served his country as a US Army photographer in Japan. Under the GI Bill, Ed attended San Francisco State University, when he met the love of his life, Dolores Karlo. They married in 1955. With a degree in Chemistry, he pursued his Master's degree at the University of Idaho in 1958.
In 1962, the F&M Scientific Company (now HP) employed Ed to develop industrial environmental monitoring equipment. The Neel Family relocated to the Chadds Ford, PA where Ed excelled in the company and the community. As leader in this nascent field, Ed left HP in 1969 to start his own business, 'Analytical Instrument Development' for "portable" environmental monitoring instruments. As a pioneer in this world, Ed's prosperous company was purchased by Thermo-Electron in 1986 and relocated to Franklin, MA. Here, Ed and Dolores moved to the waterfront in Warwick, RI where they developed a lasting love of sailing.
In 1992, Ed and Dolores sailed their boat (Glory) into retirement on the Bohemia River at the foot of the Chesapeake Bay. From there, they continued their adventures to a new "southern" residence in Port St Lucie. His passion for sailing took them from the northern coast of Maine to South America.
Ed cherished his family and friends, from all walks of life. Ed was a memorable man, who will be dearly missed by those lucky enough to know him.
A private burial will be held at the convenience of the family. A memorial service will be held later when all can attend safely. To see the full obituary and for service updates, visit www.rtfoard.com.