Jonathan Lorrence Neale Sr.

JONATHAN LORRENCE NEALE SR. departed this life on Wednesday, September 9, 2015 in his home in Woodlawn, Maryland, after a lengthy illness. He was 63. Born on January 19, 1952, at Provident Hospital, to Lloyd Aloysius and Doris Marie Neale, he was the third of five children raised in Baltimore City. As a child, Jonathan was talented in art, loved to draw and was very inquisitive; he liked to discover how things worked. These qualities served him throughout his life and career as an Aerospace and Manufacturing Engineer. He attended Baltimore Public Schools, graduating from Frederick Douglass High School in 1971. In high school, Jonathan was President of the Chess Club, and an acclaimed athlete - earning numerous awards as a member of Douglass' basketball and track & field teams (including being named Track and Field All-Star at the MD State Championships). His aspiration to become a professional athlete was thwarted, after he sustained a severe ankle injury, at football training camp his sophomore year - an injury that plagued him throughout his life. As he recovered from his injury, Jonathan went on to pursue other interests. During his senior year, Jonathan met and began dating, Bonnie J. Simpson, whom he would later marry. Mr. Hammond, a high school drafting teacher, recognized Jonathan's drafting and design abilities and encouraged him to pursue a career--" in Architecture. Having graduated high school with Honors, Jonathan accepted an academic scholarship to The School of Architecture, at the University"'of Pittsburgh. When he discovered that the School of Architecture had not yet been built, he went on to major in Civil Engineering. At school, Jonathan made many friends and formed a cherished friendship with schoolmate, Richard Ferguson. In 1974, he left Pittsburgh; returned to Baltimore and in 1975, got married and started a family. He had two children, Jonathan Lorrence Neale [r., in 1976; and Jennifer Camay Neale, in 1977. Jonathan began work at Martin Marietta Corporation as a Tool Designer, in 1976;while continuing studies in Computer Science, at Loyola College, in Maryland. He was one of few African-Americans to work in his field; and he experienced and overcame tremendous adversity and discrimination along the way. Jonathan worked his way up in the company, building his skills and knowledge at Towson State University and Catonsville Community College - where he earned an Associates of Arts Degree. After leaving Martin Marietta in 1995, he went on to work at a number of leading companies such as Vought Corporation and Boeing Corporation, on a variety of projects over the next 15 years. He travelled extensively in his career, working across the country in Florida, Alabama, and California and lived for a time in Texas, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. He even considered a job offer in Canada. Aerospace was the field that Jonathan enjoyed most. He designed and drafted tools for the production of Commercial Jet Engines, Missile Systems, Vertical Launch Systems, the B-1Bomber, Boeing Airplane Fuselages, among many other projects. Jonathan was well-known in his hometown - readily recognized by former neighbors and classmates because of his stature and height of 6 feet 7 inches. Friends and acquaintances would describe him as a quiet, introverted man who was smart and hardworking. His family knew him as a man with a good sense of humor, who could make you laugh until you cried. He was a great storyteller; and he enjoyed the company of family, in particular, his siblings. Jonathan liked to watch a good football or basketball game; he especially liked Ginger Snaps, had a life-long love of sandwiches; and Creamed Chipped Beef over Waffles was his favorite meal. He played ping-pong with his brothers, was an avid swimmer; and on Sundays, sang with the Providence Baptist Church Combined Choir. He had an affinity for World War I & II history, war documentaries, and loved science fiction, spy and action films. Some of his favorite movies were: Top Gun, James Bond, Empire of the Sun, Patton, Stripes, Winds of War, The Last Starfighter, Star Wars, Star Trek, and most Arnold Schwarzenegger films, particularly: Total Recall, Terminator and True Lies. He loved computers, video games, arcades and enjoyed watching a good television series. Several of his favorite shows include: Baa Baa Black Sheep, Saturday Night Live,A Man Called Hawk, Airwolf, Buck Rogers, Simon & Simon, Miami Vice, Magnum P.L, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, The Good Wife and Firefly. Jonathan had a special gift for working with his hands and excelled at intricate tasks that required precision. He enjoyed origami, had a knack for wrapping Christmas presents, and he taught himself to sew - at one time, sewing many of his own work shirts. He even made Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for his children. Jonathan enjoyed most holidays, but he especially loved Christmas. He is survived by: his children, Jonathan L. Neale Jr. and Jennifer C. Neale; two sisters, Harriett L. Neale and Letitia A. Davis; brother, Timothy B. Neale; two nephews, Robin Davis Jr. and Matthew Davis; niece, Ericka A. Neale; grandnephew and grandniece, Kameron Jones and Emery Davis. He was preceded in death by his beloved older brother, Lloyd A. Neale II.

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Jonathan Lorrence Neale Sr.

January 18, 1952 - September 9, 2015