Dennis “Denny” R. Neal, 69, a former Hillsboro resident and business operator died Oct. 24, 2023 in DeFuniak Springs, FL.
Mr. Neal was born March 3, 1954, in Indianapolis to William and Eva Virginia Neal. He graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Neal and his wife managed the restaurant at the Hillsboro Country Club and operated O’Neal’s Food and Spirits in Hillsboro. In later years Mr. Neal worked as an advertising salesman for Homes and Lands magazine, the Panama City News Herald and the Bay Beacon. Mr. Neal loved cooking, working in the yard, reading mystery novels and traveling. He had a flair for life and a wonderful sense of humor.
Mr. Neal is survived by his wife of 35 years, Mary (Douglas) Neal; his daughter, Olivia Hiatt Neal, 21, also of DeFuniak Springs, FL; brothers, Duwain (Penny) Neal, Phillip Neal, Richard (Vickie) Neal; sister, Darlene (Miguel) Gonzalez and many nieces and nephews who he loved with all his heart.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother Daryl, and infant daughter, Emily Douglas.
Education was important to Mr. Neal, so a GoFundMe account has been set up in his name to help his daughter Olivia continue her college studies. Memorials are suggested to www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-dennis-r-neal.
