Camano Island man was a quiet man of many talents

As a child, Sandy Labovsky remembers asking her father what a word meant. Lewis Neeld always gave the same answer.

“Go look it up” was his standard reply.

A man of few words, Neeld had many talents, including a love of singing. His clear and strong singing voice was heard in church choirs and in performances by Snohomish County Windjammers, a local men’s barbershop chorus, where he sang bass for the past 12 years.

“He taught the Windjammers Chorus a song called ‘I Believe,’ which meant a lot to him,” Labovsky said. “It’s obvious they cared for each other.”

A resident of Camano Island, Neeld died Jan. 7 in Mount Vernon. He was 85.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, Joan Cleaver. He leaves three adult children: David, Scott and Sandy and their spouses; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Neeld was born on April 8, 1924, in Erie, Pa., to James and Betty Neeld.

In December 1942, at the age of 18, Neeld enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Syracuse, N.Y. He attended submariner school in New London, Conn., and served as yeoman first class for six years in the Submarine Service. He fought in the Battle of Midway during World War II aboard the USS Tautog in the Pacific Ocean.

Her father rarely spoke about his time in the Navy, Labovsky said.

“It was a six-year gap in his life that he didn’t talk much about,” she said.

Scott Neeld arranged for his father to speak about his life during a video interview three years ago.

“I pressured him into getting the video interview done, and it took about six months for him to to say OK,” he said. “He told his whole life history, about growing up, his best friend, and playing tuba in the high school band.”

He also talked about being aboard the USS Tautog.

One story he told was about a five-pound can of tuna that was dropped by a crewman while the submarine crew was under “silent running” orders in hostile waters near Japan. With the crew ordered to remain absolutely quiet, the sound of the can echoed against the stainless-steel counter might have alerted Japanese ships to their presence. They weren’t discovered.

“We all heard things that we had never heard before,” Scott Neeld said about the interview. “It was a nice snapshot of his life and his commitment.”

Lewis Neeld enjoyed seeing a sub similar to the Tautog during a trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, said his girlfriend of the past 11 years, Judy Holmes.

“We were there to see Mighty Mo (USS Missouri), and there was a sister ship to Tautog there,” Holmes said. “It was all shiny. He said, ‘This is where I slept. Right next to torpedoes.’ It was a trip down memory lane for him. He was in hog heaven.”

After retiring from the Navy in 1948, Neeld met his wife, Joan, while they were both working the night shift for Red Star Express truck line in Buffalo, N.Y. His civilian career also included work in transportation and operations management with Jewell Food Stores in Chicago and with the Kroger Co. in Cincinnati and Dallas.

Neeld was always a good cook, Labovsky said. He cooked pancakes, “whipping the egg whites until they were good and stiff” and serving them with real maple syrup. He made his family whole-wheat bread every Sunday.

“I remember coming home from church and smelling that fantastic smell,” she said. “I’d have the butter out and a knife saying, ‘Can we cut it now?’ The answer was the same. ‘Not ’til it’s cool enough.’ ”

Neeld moved to Camano Island in 1995 and became active in the operations and management of the Camano Country Club and the Stanwood and Camano Lions Club. He created stained-glass projects and completed two pieces for Stanwood Methodist Church. He sold stained-glass angels he made at the Camano Country Clubhouse.

Neeld liked trying new things and once talked Holmes into flying in a biplane when they were going to the Marysville Strawberry Festival. She was unsure, but Neeld was ready to fly. They went up and both enjoyed the flight, she said.

“We sat wedged into a little seat just the two of us,” Holmes said. “All we needed was the little red scarf.”

Neeld also enjoyed bowling, woodworking and crossword puzzles, often doing the New York Times Sunday puzzle in ink.

He looked forward to RV trips a couple time a year and cruises with Holmes. He attending her grandchildren’s sporting events.

Mostly, “they were happy to be quiet together,” Labovsky said.

Neeld’s family is planning a scattering of his ashes at sea.

His friend and fellow bassist, Norm Keck of the Snohomish County Windjammers, will be part a quartet that sings at a memorial service in March for Neeld.

“Lou was just as steady as they come,” Keck said. “He was a quiet, courageous veteran. A true gentleman.”

Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491, adaybert@heraldnet.com.