Richard Ross “Dick” Neely Jr., 93, of Flourtown and formerly of Chestnut Hill, an architect who had worked on many large projects in the Philadelphia area in a career that spanned nearly six decades, died May 27 of complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Chestnut Hill Hospital.
Mr. Neely. who had been an employee, partner and proprietor of different firms, was involved in the construction of commercial and institutional projects, including the Germantown Jewish Center, the Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Friends Select School, the College of Physicians, Medford Leas Retirement Village, Cathedral Village, the Athaneum, and the University of Pennsylvania, among others.
Born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, in 1923, he came with his parents to Philadelphia that same year, settling in Whitemarsh in 1928. He was a graduate of Springfield High School and attended what was then Drexel Institute of Technology.
During World War II, he served with the Army Signal Corps in Philadelphia, preparing graphs and illustrations for officer training classes. He later worked on drawings for a radio equipment processing facility under the direction of Philadelphia architect Harry Sternfeld.
After the war, Mr. Neely joined Sternfeld’s architecture firm and began his long career as an architect. He left the firm of Mirick, Pearson, Batchelder, where he was a partner, in 1990 and went into business for himself, retring in 2003.
He was a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Pennsylvania Society of Architects, the Philadelphia Art Alliance and the Building Owners and Managers Association. Until recently he had served on the board of Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, the former Suzanne Hesser; sons Richard R. Neely III, Thomas Neely and Charles Neely; a daughter, Mary Susan Wetherill; and two grandchildren. Mr. Neely’s first wife, the former Mary Delores Colebob, died in 1965.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, at St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh, Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Memorial donations may be made in his name to St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh, Music Fund, at the above address, or to Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels, 1710 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, PA 19031. – W.F.
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