William John Neyhart, "Bill," Born Sep 25, 1944, in Fulton, NY. His parents were Willis Edward Neyhart and Dorothy Louise Truell. He had an older brother Joe. Joe wasn't sure what to think of Billy but he did what he could to keep his kid brother entertained. See, Dorothy and Willis had just lost an infant daughter. When Billy came along, they were hoping for another girl baby. Dorothy's sadness didn't change how much she loved this new baby. She doted on him.
Not much is known about Billy's childhood. He'd go to the beaches of the finger lakes in the summer. He loved toy trains. His collection included miles of tracks and tiny people, trees, gravel, and buildings.
In high school Billy ran track. He told stories of how he wasn't the best but that he would DO his best. Billy loved books. He read cowboy and western paperbacks from his childhood through his last days.
Bill left New York to attend college in Athens, GA at University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! In his college days, his friend group nicknamed him "Mo." This was short for Moses since he had a goatee. In Athens Mo studied philosophy and psychology and PBR. Mo gained an interest in photography. He loved music.
While in Athens he met Norma Jean Holder and they really hit it off. They loved going to Road Atlanta for races. They challenged each other in many ways. Mo proposed to Norma at a James Brown concert on UGA (Go Dawgs!) campus. It was so loud, she couldn't hear him so he had to ask again. June, 1967 Mo & Norma married in a civil ceremony in Winder, GA in the Judge's living room.
While at UGA (Go Dawgs!) Bill was drafted. He went to Korea where he was a clerk kind of like Radar O'Reilly. He didn't see any wartime action but he was a proud soldier.
Norma & Mo saw the birth of their children Michael Jason & Nancy Louise in quick succession in October 1967 & November 1968. Two under 2 for the young couple proved hard and they divorced in 1971.
Snapshots of a young parent include Six Flags Over GA, UGA (Go Dawgs!), Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus, live music - rock & symphony, Atlanta Symphony in Piedmont Park, Arts Festival, Road Atlanta, Lake Lanier, movies in the theater and at the GA State campus, bachelor pads, cigar boxes of prizes for the kids, and a Pawleys Island hammock for a second bed.
Bill wasn't the best driver nor was he the best parent, but he was great at being a student of life. He got a degree at UGA (Go Dawgs!) and at GA State. He dove head first into astrology, numerology, photography, psychology, and he kept meticulous notes ... of everything. He started playing Dungeons & Dragons when it was brand new. He was great at backgammon, chess, cribbage, and dominoes.
He loved plants and was a hard worker and a hard-ass. We kids thought his favorite thing to yell at us was "Quit playin' grab-ass!" Which still makes us laugh.
In the early 2000's Bill uprooted his life in the South to be closer to his daughter. They did their best in an on-again, off-again relationship. They were in an episode of a reality TV show together called "Move This House."
Bill loved his grandsons Michael Joshua and Porter Curtis to no end. They were the sparkles in his eyes. Josh and his Dad Jason keep the UGA (Go Dawgs!) tradition alive. Porter is keeping the photography and reading alive.
The Summer of 2023 would bring Bill and Nancy together for regular dinner dates, for movies, for ice cream and coffee dates. Some of the best times that they both would share together.
The last 11 months of Bill's life were challenging. A tumble in September 2023 almost took him out. He was hospitalized then in nursing homes where he continued to enjoy Westerns, Perry Mason (the original) and football and baseball games.
Bill graduated from this plane on Aug 25, 2024 in Seattle, WA at the VA Hospital. Natural causes. It was 1 month before he would've hit 80.
The day before his death, Bill was visioning and seeing so many people including his Mom & Dad. He even saw his daughter's departed dog Frog. He said there was a party happening. I let him know the party was for him.
Celebrate his life by listening to good music or supporting a charity for animals, women’s health, or first peoples. Also, spend time outside. Read a book. Watch Perry Mason.
(Obituary composed by his daughter.) Dad, when I discovered that your name for me was "Lil," it was one of the most endearing things to me. Easy to see the correlation, thanks to the Beatles. "Her name was McGill. She called herself Lil. But everyone knew her as Nancy." I hope I did you right here. I'll see you on the other side.
And Go Dawgs!