Duane L. “Jim” Neary, 96, of Sun City, Arizona, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.
A memorial service was held at Messinger Mortuary in Scottsdale on Monday, Dec. 1, and he was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Sidney, Nebraska.
Born on July 7, 1929, in Dalton, Nebraska, to Roy and Rose (Wilson) Neary, he spent the first seven years of his life in western Nebraska before he, his sister Lila and his parents moved to Wayne County, Nebraska, where he graduated from Winside High School in 1946. Upon graduation, Jim enlisted for three years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving most of his time in Guam with the Air Force Band. As an accomplished musician, he always enjoyed jazz music.
He married Dorothy Ahlm in 1950 and graduated from the University of Nebraska School of Pharmacy in 1955, working in pharmacies in Kansas, Oregon, and the Phoenix area during his career.
Jim is survived by Joyce, his wife of 16 years; son, Jon (Kay) of Sarasota, Florida; daughter, Kristi McDonald of Scottsdale, Arizona; five grandchildren - Scott, Heather, Bill, Jim, and Amanda; nine great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; a niece and a nephew.
We will remember him as a kind soul who loved his family unconditionally. A memorial service was held at Messinger Mortuary in Scottsdale on December 1, 2025, and he was interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Sidney, Nebraska.
