Stevensville – Richard “Dick” Leo Neville, 84, of Stevensville passed away Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at St Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana. He was born March 1, 1933 in Kalispell, MT. Although he was the son of John Leroy Neville, he was raised by Ralph Curtis and mother, Myrtle Mae Boles.
By the time he was ten, Richard could tell a spruce from a pine by the smell of its sawdust. As a kid, he helped out around the family’s sawmill in Olney, MT. As a young man he felled trees, drove a log truck, helped build a sawmill, and became a head sawyer—all while learning to weld, cut, and repair machinery. When he decided to build a log house he invented machinery that could straighten and notch logs for which he had nine U.S. and Canadian Patents. He could turn out an even diameter log as long as 60 feet. This became the trademark of Neville Log Homes.
Richard is survived by wife Nancy of 40 years; brothers Dale Curtis (AK) and Loren Curtis (WA); sisters Ardyth (Punky) Neville Welch (WA) and LaDonna Curtis Webley (OK); daughters Connie Neville and Debby Truax (MT), Kelly Ehlers (Kris) (UT), and Vicki Gray (Derwin) (NC); sons Rick Neville (Leslie) (MT) and Cody Neville (Becky) (NV); numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Warren Neville, sister Alice Neville Wargo, Rosemary Neville Lake, and sons, Terry and Mark.
The family expresses their gratitude to the following for their care in the past years: Fresenius Dialysis for seven years, numerous nurses and doctors at Saint Patrick’s ICU, and special thanks to Pastor John Capen and his wife, Candie, and all the many prayer warriors from the Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene.
A graveside service with Military Honors was held on Monday, March 27 at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula. A Celebration of Life followed at the Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene in Victor. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.