Brian Keith Neil, 75

Brian Keith Neil, 75, of Cocolalla, Idaho, passed away on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 in Coeur d'Alene.

Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2009, at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint with Pastor Barry Johnson of New Song Bible Church officiating. A reception will follow in the Lakeview Funeral Home reception area.

Brian was born on Oct. 6, 1933, in Chicago, Ill., to Harold and Viola Neil. He graduated from Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill., in 1952. Brian served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1953-1957 and traveled the world as an aircraft engine mechanic. He received his bachelor’s degree from Northrop Institute of Technology in Aeronautical Engineering.

After graduation, Brian worked for Elgin Watch company in Illinois, where he met and married Judith A. Piper. The couple started their married life by driving to San Diego where Brian began a new job in the space program.

Brian had an amazing engineering career. In the 1960s, he worked at General Dynamic's Convair Division in San Diego. Later he moved to Burlington, Vermont and worked for General Electric's Armament Department. He returned to the Chicago area in the mid-1970s and worked as a manufacturing engineer for Oak Industries. In 1983 Brian took a job in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, working for Advanced Input Devices as an engineer on the IBM PC Jr. keyboard. He moved to the Seattle area in 1987 and worked for Mannesmann Tally as a manufacturing engineer, robotics specialist for two years.

In 1990, he went to work for Quinton Instrument Company as a senior manufacturing engineer working on electrodes and other medical products. He retired in 1999 to build a home in Cocolalla, Idaho.

Brian had a pioneer spirit and obtained several design patents. He had a pilot's license and often enjoyed going for an early morning flight before heading into work in the San Diego area. In Vermont he built and flew his own gyrocopter and started a business called Land-Air Enterprises where he sold and repaired motorcycles and snowmobiles.

Brian and his wife, Judy, had three children. They later divorced, and Brian returned to Chicago and took up square dancing for a hobby. It was while square dancing that Brian met Donna Sweet. Brian and Donna were married May 25, 1984, in Coeur d'Alene and their many square dance friends helped them celebrate.

Brian was a member of the Circle 'N Swing Square Dance Club in Sandpoint and served as vice president 2008-2009. He was in charge of lessons for new square dancers. Brian also enjoyed volunteering his time to read to students at Southside School in Cocolalla. Other hobbies included round dancing, working on computers and high tech gadgets, photography, and geocaching. Hobbies he enjoyed with his children included riding horses, playing tennis, and rebuilding a Ford truck. He loved animals and took good care of his pets, including a horse Sheazar and Golden Retrievers Rowdy and Mollie.

Brian is survived by his loving wife of nearly 25 years Donna Neil of Cocolalla; a daughter, Lisa (Damien) Middleton of North Montpelier, Vt.; two sons, Ron Neil of Boise, Idaho, and Scott Neil of Ogden, Utah, and 10 grandchildren, Ryan, Christopher, Logan, Canaan, Kaysea, Melanie, Jessica, Catherine, Carrie and Chad.

Memorial donations may be made to Panhandle Animal Shelter, 870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, Ponderay, ID 83852.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Brian's online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.