Richard Franklin “Dickie” Neal
1955 – 2023
Richard F. Neal “Dickie” was born May 19, 1955 in Oklahoma City to Richard Alvin and Nadine Neal. He graduated from Spencer High School where he received a scholarship for OU football, but was only able to play for 6 weeks due to a knee injury. He loved sports, fishing and spending time with his family and friends. He really enjoyed any chance he had to get together with his buddies from school. His children and grandchildren were his joy and he loved them with all of his heart. Dickie worked for Asbestos Workers Local 94 where retired, he also served as a Deputy for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. He received many awards for his work at the OKC Bombing. Even though he had many medical issues he always stayed strong and never let them bring him down. Dickie married the love of his life, Nancy, in 2004. They were always together, day and night. Through all of the struggles, they only grew closer. He always said that the 3rd time he got it right.
Dickie was preceded in death by his parents, Richard A. and Nadine Neal, his stepdaughter Sarah Stafford and brother-in-law Donnie Taylor. He is survived by his wife Nancy and children Randy and wife Sallie Neal, Melissa and husband Jason Wilkens, Jeff and wife Desiree’ Stafford, Beverly and husband Benjamin Clark. He was known as Pa to his grandchildren Christopher, Kayla, Andrew, Garrett, Gavin, Ashlyn, Grady, Gentry, Sarah, LJ, Georgia and Harvey. Sisters June and husband Donnie Weston, Judy and husband Rick Crespo. Father-in-law Don and wife Ila Taylor as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He is greatly missed.
Love you more.
Dickie passed away on January 7, 2023 in Oklahoma City. Services to celebrate his life are 2:00 p.m. Saturday March 25, 2023 at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel.
Dickie, was my oldest and dearest friend from High School around 54 years.
He was like one of my brothers and always there to listen to what was going on in your life, or to give advice whether you wanted it or not. He had the biggest heart of anybody I have ever met. If you were Dickie’s friend, in most cases you were a friend for life. I think the biggest entertainment that I always enjoyed was going to Dickie & Nancy’ house and watching OU Football. He would know all the plays and tell you what the play was going to be before it was done on the field, and if the play was messed up he was not very quite about it, I would look at Nancy and she would roll her eyes and we would both smile at each other. I remember the first time I met Dickie Neal, It was in the halls at Star Spencer HS, I was 16 years old, very quite and nieve. This fella in a Bobcat letter Jacket comes up to me and says Hi! I’m Dickie Neal and I said Hi. I’m Janice Smith and quietly walked the other direction. It was winter and a really good snow had fallen and this jeep pulls up in front of my parents house and my dad answers the door and it was Dickie, I did not know he knew where I lived, of course I also did not know his dad was the Police Chief in Spencer and he could find out anything about anybody, he asked my dad if I was home, he said sure, my dad called me to the door and I was immediately hit with snow balls, my dad thought that was really funny, I had never heard him laugh like that. After I dusted the snow off, Dickie said lets go, I said what do you mean lets go, its cold and snowing, his comment was just get in the jeep, a few minutes later we pulled up in front of another one of his friends house’s and we hit them with snow balls, that was my introduction to Dickie Neal. He was like one of my brothers and I was just one of the guys.
I will miss how much he cared about people, especially his friends. I had one brother that was so different from my other brothers, (I had three brothers) he was very selfish and self centered.
My mother passed and I needed to open the house up to him to remove some things, Dickie refused to let me be there by myself, he was always the protector even when you did not know it.
I will miss my dear friend especially when it is football season and I am watching OU Play,
but I will have the love of his life Nancy nearby who I love dearly.
She truly was the love of his life and my sister from another mother.
May he rest in peace. Hi last call was the biggest one of all, he is walking on his own two feet without an oxygen tank or having to check his sugar with the biggest smile on his face on God’s Golden Highways. I think the moto “Never Give Up” was made for him because he certainly lived the words. :