Charles E. Neal, of Huntington, WV, passed away Monday 19 December 2016, asleep, in bed, at his home on Larkspur Drive: according to TIME being aged 89 years and ten months and three days; unto ETERNITY being now absent from the body and present with the Lord, in paradise, and with all the other saints, in glory! He was born February 16, 1927, in Huntington, youngest child of the late Arna Roscue Neal and Edith Maud Brumfield Neal. Preceeding him in death were his wife, Laquita Joy Bias Neal, and youngest son, David Neal; one sister, Pansy; three brothers, Hugh Allen Neal, Junior Neal, and Raymond Edsel Neal. He was raised both in Huntington's south side along Daulton Avenue, and on a farm along Greasy Ridge in Lawrence County, OH. He attended Simms Elementary and Oley Junior High School in Huntington, and Windsor High School in OH. With World War II raging, and since all his brothers were older, and were all doing their parts as part of the so called "Greatest Generation" to win the war -- oldest Hugh, welding together parts of the infernal machines of the Manhattan Project, working at Oak Ridge, TN; and other two brothers serving overseas, Junior fighting throughout Europe and seeing action at the Battle of the Bulge, and Raymond loading bombs for the bombers of the Sixth Army Air Force flying out of England -- Charlie was itching to get into the fight! So, he dropped out of school, worked for the railroad until his birthday, then quit -- and joined the Army! He was training in tanks at Ft. Knox, KY, when suddenly the war ended with the dropping of the A-bombs on Japan! So he volunteered to go to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation, where he drove a jeep for Capt. Charles Burr (from TX), in the Headquarters Company of the 97th Signal Battalion. Throughout Germany he saw first hand and up close, much of the suffering and destruction of war. Upon their return to civilian life, each blessed to be safe and sound, all the Neal boys soon became men of peace, each marrying and raising up their own portion of the Baby Boom Generation. Charlie returned to and retired from the C and O Railroad Company (Chessie/CSX), as a machinist (local union 521) in the Huntington Shops. Turning to God and returning to church, he committed his life to Christ at the urging of his daughter's father-in-law, the late Rev. Jimmy Poe, whose clear teaching of the Holy Bible and strong emphasis upon winning souls for Jesus Christ -- fundamentals of the Christian faith -- were always mingled with mercy and grace by the Holy Ghost, and fleshed out through his life-long walk with the Lord. Then, for the rest of his life, for the next half-century, brother-in-Christ Charles remained a dedicated servant of and faithful tither to the former Souls for Christ Baptist Church, now River Cities Community Church. Survivors include: daughter, Darcel Poe of Mount Pleasant, SC; son, Fred Neal of Providence Forge, VA; four grandchildren, Sarah Poe, Steve Poe, Ben (wife Liz) Poe, and Claudia Star Smith; two great grandchildren, Haley Monet Rawlings, and Naomi Elizabeth Poe. The family is sincerely thankful for all the hard work of the many wonderful people who became not only a necessary network of care givers; but, even more so, blessed by their new friendships-like-family. The past two years have been a long and difficult journey. With God, all things are possible; but, without such helpers as you all, this would have been almost impossible. As you all have blessed us, may God bless you, one and all: Hospice of Huntington, especially Darcy "more than a nurse" and Margie "more than a social worker"; all of Dora's "girls", especially Kathy "the Greasy Ridge connection" and Mary "quit contrary" and Tangie "of the fantastic and final four" along with "Little Foot" Jenn and Tina "the showerer of blessings and showers and lastly, "the longest of all" Kim; and "the true traveling doctors" Sarah Leger and Crystal Fitz; Dr. Ijaz Ahmad "a true friend of mankind"; and Dr. Tom Savory "a true friend of the family"; and all our "true neighbors indeed" of Larkspur, especially Abe of "the Wright stuff" and Richard "the reader" Bumgardner for all the great O'Reilly reads. Graveside services will be conducted 11:00 AM Thursday, December 22, at Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington, with Rev. Art Hage officiating, and military graveside rites by Veterans Honor Guard Post 16. A celebration of life will take place 2:00 PM Thursday at River Cities Community Church, with Pastor Larry Greene officiating.