Obituary of James Andrew Neal

James “Jim” Andrew Neal, 77, passed away in West Columbia, SC on March 14, 2020, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  Born in Lancaster, SC on November 14, 1942, he was the son of the late Thomas Minton and Louise Pressley Neal. 

Jim received his undergraduate degree from his beloved Wofford College, a Master of Criminal Justice Degree from the University of South Carolina and was only a dissertation away from a doctoral degree in Health Administration at the University of South Carolina. He began his career in Public Health in 1965 with the Communicable Disease Section of the South Carolina State Board of Health.  In 1968, he joined the staff of the S.C. Commission on Alcoholism and remained with the agency until 1996.  He returned in 2000 for three years as part of a contract with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation to assist in the implementation and evaluation of prevention systems. These years of dedicated service brought Jim repeated recognition at both the state and national levels.  Among his many awards noteworthy are: J. Marion Sims Award (1994), McCord-Young Meritorious Service Award (1996), The State of South Carolina Proclamation by Governor David Beasley (1996), and William J. McCord Outstanding Service Award (2005). On his birthday in 2016, he was honored as the SCAADAC Professional of the Year.  In addition, an award for outstanding service is named in his honor.  His dedication to the field led him to write Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment in South Carolina (1954-2004): A Synoptic History.

He is the author of Historic United Methodist Churches and Places in South Carolina, for which he received the Hubert Hucks Award from the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2011.  As a lifelong lover of Revolutionary War history, he also authored Churches in South Carolina Burned During the American Revolution: A Pictorial Guide and was working on a book about Colonial Presbyterian Churches in South Carolina.

For over 45 years, Jim was an active member of Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church, where he was an integral member of the UMC Men’s Club, devoted supporter of youth ministry, and served as church historian, during which time he wrote a book on the history of Asbury.

Jim is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Barbara “BJ” Goodson, his daughters Elizabeth (Andy) Hedgepath of Columbia, SC and Pressley (Ben) Cox of Greenville, SC, and grandchildren Witt, Ellie, and his namesake James Ford Hedgepath, and Sara, Emily, and Henry Cox.  He is also survived by his brother Tom (Gloria) Neal of Lexington, SC, sister-in-law Jewel Neal of Lancaster, SC, sister-in-law Frances (Harry) Golden of James Island, SC, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.   He was predeceased by his brother Dewitt Neal and sister Harriette Bailey. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Asbury Memorial UMC, 1005 Asbury Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 or to Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 2240 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville, SC, 29681.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, March 17 at 1:00 pm at Greenlawn Cemetery with the Reverend Pressley Neal Cox officiating.  Due to Jim’s lifelong commitment to Public Health, the service will be for family and close friends only.