William Joseph Neary Jr.

On June 18, 2015, William Joseph Neary, Jr, “Bill.” decided he had battled cancer valiantly long enough, and gave up that good fight, with his beloved wife, Anne, holding his hand. Bill was born April 3, 1938, to William J. Neary, Sr. and Helen Ternove Neary in Chester, PA. He went to Holy Savior School, was an altar boy and a budding athlete. He attended St. James Boys’ High School where he played basketball, baseball, ran cross country and was elected to Boy State for Pennsylvania. He then went to the University of Scranton on an academic and athletic scholarship, where he played basketball for the Royals. Two of Bill’s proudest moments were playing basketball in Madison Square Garden in NYC and at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Graduating with a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology in 1960, Bill joined the Centers for Disease Control, assigned to New York City. Next Bill was transferred to the Michigan State Health Department in East Lansing, then on to Cincinnati, where he enrolled in the Masters of Public Administration at the University of Cincinnati in 1970, having received one of the first Graduate School Scholarships in the nation. Bill then was transferred to the Health and Human Services Regional Office in Philadelphia, where he worked with various governmental agencies, responsible for Program Planning for his Region, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Bill served as Liaison to Governor Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, and had a special assignment to the White House. Bill was selected as the first Regional Director of the Refugee Resettlement Program in the Mid-Atlantic Region. He frequently received Meritorious and Special Service awards throughout his career. He retired from the Department of Health and Human Services in 1984. Bill began a second career in Northern Virginia, and became a licensed Realtor His first company was Shannon & Luchs, Annandale/Arlington in 1984. He was Rookie of the Year for S&L that same year. In 1989, he and his wife, Anne Ryan Neary, whom he married April 22, 1984, relocated to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 1991, Bill was Realtor Associate of the Year for the Talbot Board of Realtors. Bill became President of the Talbot Board of Realtors in 1995, and was Realtor of the Year that same year. Bill was active with the Maryland Association of Realtors (MAR) as well, serving on several statewide committees, including the Legislative Policy Committee, President’s Council, Finance Committee and Realtors Political Action Committee. Bill was the proud recipient of the Maryland House of Delegates Award for “Leadership in the Real Estate Industry” in 1998. He was Regional Vice President for the Eastern Shore. Continuing his involvement with MAR, Bill was elected President in 2001. During his tenure as President, Bill developed the CARE Award, “Community Award, Realtors’ Excellence,” recognizing the contributions Realtors make to their communities in so many meaningful ways. Every year at the MAR Conference, one or two Local Boards are recognized for their outstanding efforts to enhance their constituents’ lives. Bill was also active at the National Association of Realtors level, serving on several national committees, attending annual conferences around the country. In 2005, Bill was selected as Regional Vice President for the same states he had worked with at HHS. Bill’s contributions to the Real Estate Profession were validated when Governor Martin O’Malley appointed him Real Estate Commissioner for the Eastern Shore in 2013. He attended his last Commissioners’ meeting in May, 2015. Bill and Anne enjoyed traveling, and in 2007 went to England where Bill was Anne’s “Guest” at the Oxford Round Table. Bill joined the other “Guests” on various tours and other fun activities while Anne and her colleagues from around the world were working at the Rhodes House during the day. Following that exciting week, they flew to Ireland where they hired a car and drove around the countryside, visiting Kilkenny and Tipperary, where they traced family trees and made new friends. Bill was diagnosed with bladder cancer in June, 2013. He and Anne embarked upon a different journey, through the health care system with a daunting diagnosis. The physicians, nurses, radiographers and myriad other health care providers were steadfast and supportive in their attention to Bill’s needs. Drs. Matthew Fischer, David H. Smith, John Knud-Hansen, Chris Runz, Richard Alexander, Christina Turner, Anish Hinduja, Adam Weinstein, Eva Smorzaniuk, Dale Johnson, Rosa Mateo, Dennis DeShields, John Botsis, Haider Sarraf, and Paul Reinbold were essential members of Bill’s health team. Bill received compassionate care from many of Anne’s former nursing and radiology students, which provided added comfort and confidence for both Bill and Anne. For the last eight weeks of Bill’s life, he had two guardian angel caregivers, Betty Howard and Dante Wilson, who provided outstanding hands-on-care and gentle reassurance to both Bill and Anne. The greatest treasures in Bill’s life have been his daughter, Kathleen Neary Blumberg; her husband, Steven, and their three sons, Steven, Daniel and Nathan. “Camp Granddad” was an annual summer tradition when each grandson would spend a week to play golf, attend Y camp, fish, and be spoiled by Granddad and GranAnne. Bill is also survived by his brother, Ed Neary his wife Gina, daughter Megan; her husband, Tony, and three sons; an aunt, Helen Ternove; his sister-in-law, Nancy Wooten in North Carolina; many cousins in both his and Anne’s family. He also leaves his Realtor family, his Chesapeake College family, his Eastern Shore Hospital Center family, and his William Hill Manor family. Bill and Anne have been blessed with many wonderful friends and neighbors in their lives. Mary Antoun, Kathie Connelly, Mary Dobson, Crystel and Ken Farina, Joyce and Gary Fairbank, Joan and Alex Fountain, Barbara and Joe Healey, Eileen and Dave Heistand, Kathy Jones, Barbara and Duane Lundahl, Judy and Colin Macindoe, Ann Marie and Frank Piecuch, Robin Seal-Whitlock and Barbara Viniar have been especially dear and constant friends. His dear cat “Jonesey” misses Bill every day. The family will receive friends at Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, 200 S. Harrison Street, Easton, MD, on Friday, June 26, from 6 till 8 PM. Because Bill loved a good party, a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, July 18, from 2 till 4 PM, at the William Hill Auditorium, 501 Dutchman’s Lane, Easton. Later this summer, Bill will make his final trip to North Carolina to be buried near Anne’s parents. To honor Bill’s dedication to education, athletics and Chesapeake College, the family requests donations be made to the Chesapeake College Foundation to support the new Health Professions and Athletics Center (HPAC) that will be opened later this year. Please send contributions to Chesapeake College Foundation, PO Box 8, Wye Mills, MD 21679, “In memory of Bill.”

William Joseph Neary Jr.

April 3, 1938 - June 18, 2015