John S. "Pat" Neild, Jr.

John S. “Pat” Neild, Jr.

(Rotarian since 1986, sponsored by Stewart White, with 35+ years perfect attendance)

Born St. Patrick’s Day in 1930 to J. Stapleforte and Mabel Spicer Neild and given the nickname of “Pat”. Grew up on Taylor’s Island, the only child of his native Dorchester County parents. His family’s history dates back to 1669 in Dorchester County. He attended a one-room school on Taylors Island for seven years, graduated from Cambridge High School in 1947, and from the University of Md. in 1951 with a degree in agriculture and a commission in the U.S. Air Force. While at University of Maryland at College Park, became a member of Alpha Gamma Rho and Alpha Zeta Fraternities. He entered the United States Air Force Security Service in July 1951 and was stationed in Washington D.C., then San Antonio, Texas. Resigned from active duty in1953 and was honorably discharged from the Air Force Reserves in June 1959 as a First Lt. Married Ann Jones Neild on August 30, 1951 and they had three sons – John Richard (deceased), Thomas Lee, and William Keene (deceased), plus 8 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren, most settled in Dorchester County.

After retiring to Taylors Island in 1953, was employed by the Dorchester County Fertilizer Co. (DORCO), which was purchased in 1963 by the Baugh Chemical Co. of Baltimore and then by the Kerr McGee Chemical Corporation of Oklahoma City. Worked as their sales manager and then plant manager for 25 years until the plant on Trenton Street in Cambridge was closed in 1978. He then, worked for Maryland Wire Belts in Church Creek as Operations Manager and Executive Vice President, until he left that company in 1990. After that, he became self-employed as a consultant in human resources, working primary with Hi-Tech Plastics in Cambridge until 1999. Owned several farms on Taylors Island and, with the help of his wife and sons, managed and farmed the land from 1973 until turning the operation over to his sons in 1998. During those years, he established two acres of grapes, and continued to tend them, along with associated wine making, until June of this year.

Activities over the years included being a charter member and helping to build the Taylors Island Volunteer Fire Company, Boy Scout Scoutmaster on Taylors Island, member of Dorchester Co. Agricultural Awareness Committee, President of Delmarva Fertilizer Assoc., and a director of the National Fertilizer Roundtable. In addition, he served on the boards of the Untied Fund, Salvation Army, Dorchester Chamber of Commerce, and the Cambridge Rotary Club, Served as president of Tidewater Farm club, Commodore of the Cambridge Yacht Club, Commodore of the Rotary Yacht Squadron of the Chesapeake Bay, church trustee, Sunday school teacher, chairman of the Administrative Council for the four Methodist churches on the Church Creek Charge, officer of Dorchester County Taxpayers’ Association, member of Dorchester County Heritage Area Advisory Committee, Past President, Trustee, and Trustee Emiratis of Dorchester County Historical Society, President and Chairman of Trustees of Grace Foundation of Taylors Island, past President of the Board of Directors of Delmarva Community Services, Charter Member and President of South Dorchester Folk Museum, Director of Dorchester County Resource Preservation & Development Corp., past Director and member of Cambridge Rotary Club, director Emeritus of Friends of Old Trinity, and member of numerous other organizations. Registered as a member of SAR with National Number 106239, and member of Jamestown Society Number 9182 (had ancestors at Jamestown in the early 1600s).

Hobbies included boating, hunting, farming, wine making, tinkering with mechanical things, woodworking, genealogy, working with computers, and volunteering at several non-profit organizations.

He gives God credit for blessing him with good health, a loving wife for 73 years, financial security, three fine sons and their families, and the opportunity to live a lifetime in one of the best places in the world.

He is survived by a son Thomas L. Neild, Sr. and wife Lisa of Taylors Islands, eight grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren, two daughter in laws Angel Neild of Taylors Island and Teresa Neild of Baltimore, and numerous nieces and nephews. Besides his parents and his wife Ann, Mr. Neild is preceded in death by two sons William “Bill” Keene Neild, Sr. and John Richard “Rick” Neild.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 1pm at Thomas Funeral Home, P.A. in Cambridge with Rev. Dan Dunlap officiating. Interment will follow at Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery in Taylors Island. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions can be made to a charity of choice.