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Note: tended to by her loving husband. She succumbed to cancer after a brave and difficult battle. The oldest of five children, she was raised in Long Beach, Calif., and grew up fast in a mothering role to compensate for the needs of a broken home. Born Maureen Donnelly, she was the daughter of an Irish-descended officer of the LAPD. Her mother was a homemaker. Maureen was an uncommonly attractive young woman when she met her lifelong sweetheart, Terry Neal, at only 15 years of age. Their mutual attraction could not be swayed by their parents, and they eloped to Mexico to be married when they were only 17. Maureen had eight children, one foster child that she considered her own, and 24 grandchildren at the time of her death. Throughout her life, she made her children, and then her grandchildren, the center of all her efforts and thoughts. She was the matriarch of the Neal family, a selfless woman that has left us all with a wonderful example of dignified motherhood. The pin number assigned to her ATM card for many years was 6262 - spelling out 'MAMA'. In life, being a mother and a good wife was her greatest joy. In death it is her greatest legacy. Maureen was also a great friend to many people, and she gathered them wherever she lived throughout the years. Her ability to make and retain friends throughout her life was a reflection of her habit of concern for others at the expense of herself. She was a caring person that worried incessantly about the problems of others and was always looking for subtle ways to help. She would often write a note and deliver it to a person in distress, or drive to someone's home to let them cry on her shoulder, or make a quilt for the mother of a new baby, or drive someone with limited means to college in another state. These selfless acts of service defined her, and they were done without any care or expectation of notice or reward. Maureen was an active member of the LDS Church and she always wished to share with others the peace that her faith brought to her. She was an endlessly active woman... an accomplished quilter, a seamstress, a scuba-diver, a pilot, a long-distance boater, a wonderful home decorator, an accomplished cook and a person with a love of books that was always collecting bits of random knowledge. But her most endearing quality was her great sense of humor. She loved to crack jokes, watch a funny movie or listen to one of her kids tell a funny story. She had a contagious laugh that would build until she was crying and practically gasping for breath. Everyone surrounding her could not avoid laughing hysterically at the source of humor, but even more at her own laughter! Towards the end of her struggle against cancer, her husband asked her if there was anything else that he could do to make her feel comfortable and she said 'I want to laugh more'. Her family and friends will miss Maureen greatly, and her children have all committed to improving their lives and providing more service to others in her memory. Through their LDS faith, she and her husband have a foundational belief that they are eternal companions. Terry is now looking forward to reuniting with her when he passes from this mortal and temporary existence. Maureen was laid to rest at Skyline Cemetery on Tuesday, Aug. 30. Her memorial service was held at the Sandy LDS Church on Wednesday, August 31.
Note: NEAL, MAUREEN GAIL Maureen Gail Neal passed away in her home on Mt. Hood on Aug. 27, 2005, at
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