Obituary of Margaret M Neill

Margaret Mary Neill, “Margie”, passed away February 22, 2022. She was 83 years old.

Born and raised in Mendham, she resided in the family home, built by her father and uncle in 1926, at  64 East Main Street, her entire life. 

A graduate of Morristown High School, Margie worked for several years for Dr Lawrence Norton in Mendham. She was a tireless volunteer, serving at Greystone Psychiatric Hospital for over 25 years, at Morris View Nursing Home and spent many hours with the Sisters of Christian Charity. 

She worked many years as a personal assistant to a local resident.

Margie was a woman with tremendous faith, a longtime parishioner of St Josephs’ Church in Mendham and St Lawrence Church in Chester. She was very active with the children at St Josephs Church and School, “back in the day”.

An avid stamp collector, a hobby instilled in her by her father, she was a member of the Jockey Hollow Stamp Club. Margie was also involved in the Mendham Historical Society and an active member of the Mendham Seniors, enjoying the trips and company of the members.

Margie had a very direct connection to some Mendham history, as her mother Ann was a bank teller at the Morris County Savings Bank the day of the “Great Mendham Bank Robbery”.

Margie was an avid walker, traveling the sidewalks of Mendham daily, frequently going to pay a visit to her longtime dear friend, Gayle Conover or visiting with her wonderful neighbors, Rosemary and John Pecoraro.

Margie was very patriotic, making sure the flag was properly displayed from her front porch everyday.

She loved sitting on the porch, watching the kids on the sidewalk pass by and commenting on the volume of traffic. If she wasn’t on the porch, she would admit “I was off my rocker”,with a laugh.

Whenever asked how she was doing, she would always respond, “Oh, I’m perking along”.

Margie was predeceased by her parents, the late Ann L. Neill and Henry Wilson Neill and her brother, COL(ret.) Henry W Neill, JR . She is survived by her sister in law, Judy Neill of Springfield, Virginia and several second cousins, and her three angels, Andrea Ellmann, Sally McInnes and Russi Champi, whose attention and care to Margie allowed her 3 more years of a happy life.

Margie’s passing marks the end of the era of the over 100 year Neill family presence in Mendham.

Special thanks to the staff at Bryan Manor for making Margie feel at home.

Visitation will be held 1 to 3 pm, Thursday, March 3,with a funeral service held at 2pm at Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham, NJ 07945. Internment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Mendham First Aid Squad, 24 East Main Street, Mendham, NJ 07945 would be appreciated.

Keep on perking, Margie