Obituaries

Robert W. (Wally) Neeley, age 86, died on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with his loved
ones beside him. Wally was born in Statesville, NC to parents Francis Leggett Neeley
and William Walter Neeley.

A lifelong resident of Bridgeport, he attended Bridgeport High School where he played
center for the Bridgeport Indians Football Team. He was on the 1955 State
Championship team that was inducted into the inaugural class of the Bridgeport High
School Athletics Hall of Fame in September 2026. After graduation in 1959, Wally went
on to play football at Gordon Military College in Barnesville, GA and later redshirted for
the Georgia Bulldogs at the University of Georgia where he was also a member of the
Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

Wally married Ann Quigley (Penny) Neeley on July 16, 1965, and together they had
many adventures, beginning with living abroad in Bremerhaven, Germany where Wally
proudly served his country as a member of the United States Air Force Intelligence
Service. In 1967 they returned to West Virginia where he ran the family real estate
management business in Clarksburg and was a professional Numismatist for over fifty
years.

Wally enjoyed spending summer weekends with family and friends at Oral Lake Fishing
Club and at Tygart Lake State Park on the cabin-cruiser, the “Gemütlichkeit.” Later,
Inspired by a sailing cruise in the Caribbean, he attended the Annapolis Sailing School
and could soon after be found sailing the Sea Witch, the bright yellow “Beer Here” or his
Laser racing sailboat, in which he competed in the 1985 Masters World Games in
Ontario, Canada. Wally continued his active and athletic lifestyle well into his 70’s,
running around Bridgeport in the mornings, and regularly competing in local 5K and 10K
runs.

Wally was the longest serving member of the Bridgeport Lions Club and was named
“Lion of the Year” several times as well as receiving both the Leonard Jarrett Award and
the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award for his service. A lifelong coin collector and
enthusiast, Wally was also a Member Emeritus of the American Numismatic
Association.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Penny Neeley, his daughter Annie Neeley (David)
Kirkpatrick, his son, Robert Harold (Hangk) Neeley and his grandson, Ray Neeley
Kirkpatrick. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Timothy Lawrence
Neeley.

A memorial mass will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, Clarksburg, WV on Friday,
October 16, 2026, at 11:00am. A private inurnment at the West Virginia National
Cemetery, Pruntytown will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.