Neal Vandenburgh

December  16th, 1938 November  22nd, 2024
Phoenix, Arizona
Neal Vandenburgh

Obituary

We are saddened to announce the passing of Neal Vandenburgh on November 22, 2024 at his home in Phoenix AZ at the age of 85 years, following a long, valiant battle with cancer. Throughout his battle he kept his wonderful positive attitude and smile. Neal was admired as an intelligent, kind, gentle, man, to his family and to his many, many close friends over the years.

Neal is survived by his wife Dorothy, sister Sarah, and children Angela, Brian, Cristin, and Darby. His legacy lives on within his family, including seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. 

Neal was born on December 16, 1938 in Borger, Texas to Cleo and Martha Vandenburgh. Father Cleo worked as a young man for the Civilian Conservation Corp, under the CCC program set up by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who hired young men to work on federal projects during the depression. Cleo worked on construction of the Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas, Nevada prior to marrying Martha and moving to Borger, TX. Where he worked in the oil fields. A few years later, the family, grown to include Neal and sister Sara, moved to Southern California where Neal began grade school and then in 1949 moved on to Ashland, Oregon where Neal completed grade school and graduated Ashland High School.  

Neal was Vice President of his Senior Class and lettered in track and football graduating Ashland High School in 1957. He purchased his first car while in high school and proceeded to lower, completely rebuild, and paint that car , all in the family garage. By working with and learning from his father in the summers, they remodeled and built homes in Ashland. He joined the National Guard as a junior in high school and participated thru College, and was honorably discharged in 1965 Also, during high school and college, Neal worked for the forest service, working with the surveyors in the forests around Ashland

Neal attended Oregon State University, majoring in architecture and later moved on to Engineering and graduated from Oregon State University in 1962. His first job out of college was with Weyerhauser, and he stayed with this company as it changed owners to Simpson Strong Tie Structures, and then in 1985 he and Dorothy purchased the company and renamed it The Structures Group. Structures Group has operated in Arizona, California, Utah, Nevada, and Texas, (New Mexico?) Through the years.

Over the years, Neal and Dorothy were fortunate to travel to many destinations including Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, Columbia, Panama, Canada, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and one summer rented a boat outside Paris and cruised the French canals with 11 of their friends for some wonderful days.

Neal was an avid boater, owning boats at Lake Powell for 30 years . the last boat called the Black Pearl is moored at Wahweap Marina, Page, AZ. After retirement, he and Dorothy spent 15 years on their boat , the EZ Cruise, moored outside Portland, Oregon and later moored at Anacortes, Washington where they spent many leisurely days cruising the San Juan Islands. This adventure was highlighted to include a summer of traveling to Alaska on the EZ Cruise together with Dorothy’s brother Larry and Wife Cindy up the inner passage from Seattle to Skagway, Alaska…hiking and crabbing all he way up and back. It was a lifelong dream of Neals.

Raised in the Presbyterian Church, Neal’s faith supported and strengthened him as he grew up. As an adult, Neal and Dorothy are members of and raised their children in the Orangewood Presbyterian Church where Neal was ordained as an elder and was a member of the church Session for many years .

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Service Live Stream: 
https://vimeo.com/event/4770588

Recorded Video Link: https://vimeo.com/1036150082

Photo Montage:
https://vimeo.com/1039898426?share=copy

A Memorial Written By Neal’s Sister, Sara:
Most of my memories are of his teenage years, but all memories are of a brother who was always there for me, no matter what. He was never a bratty brother! He liked to laugh, but was also rather quiet, always nice to me, had an easy chuckle, and was continually doing interesting things. Because of our age difference, we didn’t play together….we each did our own thing and didn’t do that much together as a family. Growing up in the’50s in Ashland were simple times. Those were fun days where Neal and I could leave in the morning, play with our friends all day, then when Mom would wring the cow bell, we were supposed to come home for dinner. (I still have that cow bell).

The big thing I remember is that he always had a project he was working on, usually more than one at a time. Neal was a happy kid, seemed to look for challenges, liked to conquer them, then go on to the next challenge. He was curious, inventive, and creative. He had a great mind for figuring things out.

One of the first projects I remember was his decision to raise chickens (to earn money by selling them). Grandmother Katie lived a block away and had an old little chicken house and pen in her backyard. Neal fixed it all up inside, built the warming lights for the baby chicks, and started his business. He had a mean rooster that would chase after us when we entered the pen. In those days, a chicken dinner was a big thing for Sunday dinners. Of course we ate some of his chickens, so Neal showed me how he would chop off the head, then we all watched the body flop around in the yard before giving it to Mom to prepare for the evening dinner.

Besides football, Neal was interested in track. He ran the hurdles with finesse, but he was also interested in pole vaulting. He wanted to practice at home, so with his creative mind, he decided to set up his own private pole vault unit in our side yard so he could work on improving and mastering the vault. However, the side yard was sloped, which added more difficulty. He saw that as a good challenge! I remember watching him running down that sloping yard with his big pole, concentrating on how high he could get himself over the crossbar.

The high school didn’t have typical gymnastics, but there was some competition in the high bar and parallel bars. Neal wanted to be stronger and more skilled, so once again he built his own practice area with a steel high bar at home in our backyard. He somehow attached it to a big tree. I watched him practice those crazy exercises, raising himself up, then working on swinging over the bar.

His deep love of working on cars seemed to take over his life at times. He set up his own auto shop in our little garage under Dad’s shop, even building a device that would lift the engine right up, out of the car. He had unending patience and spent hours and hours in the garage, happily working on his car.

As a teenager in high school, I picture him as a “cool guy” (like Fonzie in Happy Days). He was quiet, smart, had confidence, respected by his classmates, loved by his friends, and was happy with who he was. He also had a “cool” car!

There’s no way to describe Neal with words, because his spirit was unique like no one I have ever met. He was truly a gift to me throughout his life with his open heart, guidance, generosity, and love.

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Memory wall

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December 6, 2024
I’ve known Neal for 65 years. We were married for 12. He is the father of my children. Neal was a man of integrity. He was honest, generous and kind. He left an amazing legacy.
Roberta Fogel
December 4, 2024
Neal has been my best friend since we met in 1949. Some of my happiest memories involve Neal and the Vandenburgh family. We were roommates at Oregon State until he married and I was the best man. Then Neal was my best man when I first married.
Denis Lohman

Service


Service Live Stream:
https://vimeo.com/event/4770588

A memorial services will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 19, 2024, followed by a reception at Neal and Dorothy’s home at 619 E. Briles Rd., Phx, AZ.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you send a donation to Hospice of the Valley.
Location
Orangewood Presbyterian Church, 7321 N. 10th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85020, 
Date/time
December 19, 2024
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