Harold J. Neff

Harold J. Neff, 88, peacefully passed away August 9, 2019 at home in Bismarck, North Dakota.

A memorial service is planned for family and friends in early fall at McCabe United Methodist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. A private interment will take place at the McClusky Cemetery in McClusky, North Dakota.

Harold, also known as Hal, was born on the family farm near McClusky to Charles G. and Martha (Schindler) Neff in October 1930, where he grew up and completed elementary and high school, participating in sports and working at Froehlich’s Garage. He served in the US Navy during the Korean War from December 1951-December 1955, qualifying as an aircraft radio technician on the USS Yorktown. Hal returned to McClusky, where he courted Lois Case of Goodrich, North Dakota. They married in 1956 and began a life together that led to his 30-year career with IBM, moving throughout the country and raising four children. Jeffry Rand was born in Fresno, California in 1957; Colleen Kaye and Kathleen Renae were born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1958 and 1960, respectively; and Patricia Lynne completed the family in Houston, Texas, in 1964.

Hal retired from IBM in 1987 in Des Moines, Iowa. His retirement years included building a lake home in Crosslake, Minnesota, and later living close to family in Kingston, New York. He and Lois returned to North Dakota in 2001, making their home in Bismarck and spending time with family and friends. Hal volunteered at the Bismarck Public Library repairing books and served in many roles as a member of McCabe United Methodist Church.

Throughout his life, Hal enjoyed swimming, camping, sailing, photography and making the family’s homes more beautiful with repairs, renovations and landscaping. He passed on his artistic eye, skill with tools and love of nature to his children and grandchildren. Hal lived a life of service to his family, communities and country, always with the intent to leave the world a better place than he found it.

Hal is survived by his wife, Lois; daughter Colleen (Helmut Kapczynski) Neff and grandsons Maximilian Kapczynski and Stefan Kapczynski in California; daughter Kathleen (Bryan) Aucoin in Virginia, grandson Paul in West Virginia and granddaughter Lily in Virginia; grandson Stephen (Ashley) Neff and great-grandsons Kevin, Charles, Norman and Walter in Iowa; grandson Jonathan Neff and great-grandson Jude in Missouri; son-in-law Charles Muller in New York, granddaughter Grace Hodges in New York and grandson Harold “Sam” Hodges in Florida; brother LaVern (Nita) Neff of Bismarck (formerly of Williston); in-laws Audrey Neff, Bonnie Neff, Thomas (Diane) Wentz, Irene Walsh, Linda Lee, Lloyd (Ellen) Case, Robert Case and many dearly loved nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffry (father of Stephen and Jonathan) and daughter Patricia Muller (mother of Grace and Sam); parents Charles and Martha Neff; and siblings, Dorothy Neff Ostrom, Donald Neff, Robert Neff, Richard Neff and Janet Neff Wentz.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Bismarck Public Library Bookmobile Campaign (bismarcklibrary.org).