Patrick "Pat" Neale passed away peacefully at home on December 28, 2023, surrounded by his family, after a six-year battle with neuroendocrine cancer. He was 69. He is survived by his wife of 45 years Dale, his two sons Tyler (Meredith) and Casey (Natalie), his two grandchildren Camila and James, his sister Nanci Rakestraw (John), and his brother John (Susan). He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Peg Neale.

Pat was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio and attended Upper Arlington High School where he was an excellent student/athlete. He excelled in both the classroom and as a member of the basketball and baseball teams and was honored as the school's Outstanding Scholar Athlete his senior year. He then attended Hanover College (Indiana) where he earned a BA degree in geology, and Miami University (Ohio) where he was awarded a MS degree in geology and geophysics. In 1979 he began work for Chevron in New Orleans where he remained until retiring at the end of 2005. With Chevron he worked both Exploration and Development geology projects in the Gulf of Mexico and was instrumental in Chevron developing and using the mid 1980's ground-breaking technology of offshore 3-dimensional seismic survey techniques. Pat made several presentations about these techniques to geologic societies around the United States and was honored with "Speaker of the Year" and similar awards on many occasions.

Pat was a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Slidell, Louisiana, where he assisted the church in their IT endeavors over the past several years. Pat loved the outdoors and was a huge fan of the National Parks in the United States, never missing a chance to share his love of the parks with his family while on vacation. His love of the parks led him (and Dale) to visit all 63 U.S. National Parks, stretching from American Samoa in the South Pacific to the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, as well as countless other National Monuments, Historic Parks, and other Park Service entities. Pat was also an avid cyclist and a strong supporter of the nation's Rails-to-Trails program, and over the years he cycled several hundred miles on more than 30 different Rail-Trails in 23 different states.

Pat was a strong believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. He believed his cancer could be used to share his faith with others, and he often remarked how he hoped his upbeat and faith-based attitude while battling his disease would help to lead others to see the peace, he was experiencing through the blessings that Jesus has for us all.

Visitation and services will be held on January 20, 2024, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 360 Robert Blvd, Slidell, Louisiana. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., with services immediately following at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat's memory are welcomed at Aldersgate United Methodist Church www.aldersgate-slidell.org, National Park Foundation www.nationalparks.org , or Rails to Trails Conservancy www.railstotrails.org

Arrangements by Honaker Funeral Home, Inc., Slidell, LA.