Richard (Dick) R. McNeill

In Loving Memory of Richard (Dick) R. McNeill: A Life Embraced with Love, Loyalty, Hard Work, Integrity, Kindness, and a Great Sense of Humor

Surrounded by his cherished family and loved ones in home hospice, Richard R. McNeill (known as Dick or Mike, but affectionately known as Hottie and Hoss), age 82, passed away on July 31, 2023. He was born in Philadelphia where his family had been for generations but raised in the heart of Southern California during its golden age. Dick's journey through life was a testament to the values of integrity, kindness, service, family, and friends. He was the second son of Mason and Elizabeth McNeill who settled in San Diego and later Los Angeles, CA after Mason had served in the pacific theater in WWII. Dick spent many summers going to Stone Harbor, New Jersey where both his grandparents and cousins lived, and it remained a special place to him the rest of his life.

Dick's heartwarming personality touched the lives of countless individuals. He earned his stripes in the academic realm, graduating from the University of Arizona and later achieving his MBA from the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His thirst for knowledge and pursuit of excellence extended beyond the classroom, leading him to an illustrious eight-year tenure in the US Army, where he rose to the rank of Captain and was bestowed the Army Commendation Medal for his honorable service.

Dick's professional career found its anchor at The Coca-Cola Company, spanning an impressive 32 years. Through his various roles in Marketing and Sales Management, he left an indelible mark, eventually retiring as a Vice President. Not one to be idle, Dick returned as a consultant for an additional two years, showcasing his unwavering dedication to The Coca-Cola Company which he truly loved. For those that knew him well, they experienced his Coke salesmanship if they happened to be with him at an establishment that didn’t serve Coke, because he made it his mission to change their beverage selection … he didn’t say the “P” word and he refused to ever drink the competition.

Dick truly shined as a professor at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega. For six years, he shared his wealth of knowledge in Marketing and Business Communications, molding young minds and igniting their passion for learning. He loved helping young people on their journey and to pay it forward. Dick's commitment to community was evident not only through his involvement in Lions, Kiwanis, and Rotary, earning him accolades like the Lion of the Year in 2008 and the prestigious "Volunteers of the Year" award with his wife Nancy from the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce in 2016, but also with organizations associated with Lake Lanier and Sanibel Island, Florida which were different parts of the world he loved so much.  

A devoted member of Grace Presbyterian Church in Dawsonville, Dick's faith was a guiding light in his life. Serving as a Ruling Elder, he exemplified his values of compassion and service to others. Dick's strong work ethic, instilled in him from a young age (picking up bottles to recycle on Mission Beach, CA), shaped his approach to life, earning him respect and admiration from colleagues and acquaintances alike.

Dick's journey of love intertwined with academia, and led him to Nancy, his wife and partner in life. Celebrating 56 years of marriage, Dick held Nancy in the highest regard, recognizing her as a loving wife, confidante, nurturing mother, and devoted grandmother. Their love was an inspiration to all who knew them. They met at the University of Arizona and were married on August 23, 1962. After college they moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky where Dick was stationed with a tank battalion. Dick returned to Philadelphia for graduate school before accepting a position with The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia which would become home and where he would start to raise his family along with a number of cats and dogs, which were part of the family. In 1980, and through 1983, a promotion would take him to Portland, Oregon where he and Nancy made several special, forever-type of friendships that endured throughout their lives. After their kids left the house, Dick and Nancy split time in Sanibel Island, Florida and on Lake Lanier in Dawsonville where they had many close friends. They loved both places and spent many years hosting their family and friends there. Dick and Nancy were able to travel around the world and do so many wonderful fun things. Among the too many to name, they were in the stadium when the Atlanta Braves beat the Pirates in a come from behind ninth inning NLCS game seven win in 1992. Their journey together ended when Nancy died in the summer of 2021. 

Dick leaves behind a legacy of love, wisdom, and an unbreakable bond with his surviving family members: son Andy Mason McNeill and daughter-in-law Julie Butler McNeill, son David Reid McNeill and daughter-in-law Kelah Sansom McNeill, daughter Melissa McNeill Sturgis and son-in-law William Alfred (Fred) Sturgis Jr., and eleven cherished grandchildren – Mason Butler McNeill, Annabelle Rose McNeill, Lanie McNeill Sturgis, Ava Jane McNeill, Hailey Baker McNeill, Karley Samantha McNeill, Reid Miller Sturgis, Madelynn (Maddie) Hope McNeill, Andrew Davis McNeill, Riley Reid McNeill, and Emma Catherine Sturgis. He was so proud of his close-knit family, recognizing the values and virtues that connected them all.

A memorial service in honor of Dick's extraordinary life will take place at Grace Presbyterian Church on Friday, August 18 at 11:00am, located at 170 GA-9, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Following the service, a reception will be held at Cold Creek Farm located at 1491 Shoal Creek Road, Dawsonville, GA 30534. Please come wearing bright colors and with a fun story or two of Dick to share with others at the reception – this would have made him smile. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bowen Center for the Arts, Grace Presbyterian Church, or the Good Shepherd Clinic, all located in Dawsonville, GA.

As we bid farewell to Dick, let us remember him not with sadness, but with the joyful memories of his laughter, the warmth of his kindness, and the depth of his reflective wisdom. He played life well and that is worth celebrating. He loved his family, The Coca-Cola Company, golf, a good joke, teaching and God … he loved to talk about the importance of good decision making and how all things in life communicate something about who you are inside and out. He will forever remain in our hearts, his values imprinted in our minds, an emblem of a life well-lived and a legacy that continues to inspire us all.

Condolences may be expressed at www.beardenfuneralhome.com.

Bearden Funeral Home, Dawsonville, GA.