E. G. Elbie McNeil

E.G. (Elbie) McNeil, age 92, retired petroleum geologist and beloved husband, father, grandfather, neighbor and friend, passed away on December 9, 2018, surrounded by his family. Born in Isabel, Kansas, he was the youngest of five children born to Glenn and Leila (Moddrell) McNeil. The family moved to Wichita soon after Elbies birth and Wichita became his lifelong home. After graduating from Wichita East High School in 1945, where he was president of his senior class, Elbie attended then Wichita University where he ran track and was a member of Phi Upsilon Sigma Fraternity. He graduated from "WU" in 1949 with a B.S. in Geology. During high school and college he played clarinet and sax in Don Overends dance band. He remained a proud WSU Shocker fan and loyal season ticket holder for most of his life, serving as president of the WSU alumni association in 1977-78. Following his graduation from WSU he worked as a geologist for several independent oil companies including Derby Oil, Nadel & Gussman Petroleum, and Oasis Petroleum, eventually forming a partnership with Jack Paulsen to form Rockwood Petroleum. He was an honorary lifetime member of the Kansas Geological Society (KGS) and served it as president in 1959. He also enjoyed a long affiliation with the Wichita Downtown Kiwanis Club. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 68 years, Phyllis (Barton) McNeil. They have three sons, Dr. Larry McNeil and his wife Kathy of Wichita; Richard McNeil and his wife Sandy of Fort Collins, Colorado; Doug McNeil and his wife Lori of Castle Rock, Colorado; and one daughter Linda and her husband Dr. Jim Kinderknecht of Brooklyn, New York. Sixteen grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren also survive. He is preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Leila McNeil, brothers Harold and Vernon, and sisters Louanna Bawcom and Myrabel Hollowell. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m., Thursday, December 13, 2018 at Downing & Lahey Mortuary, 6555 E. Central. A memorial service will be held at Eastminster Presbyterian Church on Friday, December 14, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Lakeview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to: Wichita State Alumni Association, 1845 Fairmount, Campus Box 54, Wichita, KS 67260, or to Kansas Geological Foundation, 212 N. Market, Suite 100, Wichita 67202.