Wayne McNeeley

Wayne McNeeley, 89, of  Enid, OK, passed away Monday, March 31, 2014. He was born March 19, 1925 near Stella.

His body was cremated and a graveside memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 25, 2014 at Prairie Union Cemetery near Shubert. A luncheon for family and friends will be served following the service at the community building.

Wayne was born March 19, 1925, in Douglas, NE, to Cleo and Veda (Rhodus) McNeeley. He graduated from Stella High School in 1942. He married Elva Jean Stanley on Nov. 6, 1944, in Joplin, Mo.

Wayne served in the Army during WWII in the Pacific Theater from 1943 to 1946. They farmed for one year in southeast Nebraska before he attended Colorado School of Mines. He graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering.

He worked more than 33 years as a production engineer and superintendent for Magnolia Petroleum Co., which became Mobil Oil Corp., retiring in 1984. He then worked as a petroleum engineering consultant in Nigeria and Brazil, usually accompanied by his wife. In 1991, they began working summers in Yellowstone National Park, retiring in 2006. They moved to Enid in March 2006, after living 34 years in New Orleans.

They are members of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and he was a member of several oil industry groups and Mensa.

Survivors include his wife, Elva Jean, of the home; daughters, Virginia McCall, of Enid, and Sylvia (Dan) Dymarkowski, of Wichita, KS; sons, Donald McNeeley and Judy Fonville, of Monroe, N.C., and Hugh McNeeley, of New Orleans, La.; brother, Harold (Marilyn) McNeely, of Phoenix, AZ; sisters, Shirley (Phil) Miller, of Wahoo, and Kittie Stricklett, of Blair; eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Don; and sister, Julie Hartford.

Condolences may be made online at www.ladusau evans.com