When most people hear the word hero, they think of superpowers and colorful costumes, but when it comes to real life, heroes take on a wholly different form. Bill Neal was a hero in every sense of the word, going above and beyond his job as Dallas College Richland Campus coach and professor, becoming a mentor, a safe place and even family for some.
Neal passed away on Sunday Sept. 17, two days before his 83rd birthday from a massive stroke. After his passing his loved ones held a small ceremony, leaving flowers for Neal as they shared stories and memories from their time with him, remembering who he was to them.
Phillip Keys, a retired Richland faculty member who worked with Neal for over 30 years, described him as, “Caring. He loved to laugh, and he was a great storyteller. His stories were just unbelievable. You would be on the edge of your seat.”
Neal left an impact on each and every person he came across, and his legacy will last for years after his passing. He had been inducted into two wrestling halls of fame and had proven his skill in coaching over 10 years as his wrestling teams won seven state championships. Neal coached at the Olympic Training Center, and even appeared in the movie “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) as match official in a scene that he had trained star Tom Cruise to wrestle. And after teaching at Dallas College for 48 years, Neal retired only to become a kicking coach at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, helping to train the football teams there.
In the ‘70s when Neal began coaching for the Richland wrestling team, he wanted to create a mascot for the sports team as every other team they went up against had one. He jokingly created the Thunderduck, and it became the” unofficial official” mascot. It wasn’t until almost 10 years later that Richland adopted the Thunderduck as the school mascot, due to the wild success of the wrestling team. And because Neal could be credited with the creation of the mascot, he also became the first true Thunderduck.
During his time coaching at Richland, Neal was not just a professor, not just another faculty member. He went out of his way to know each student he worked with, offering them not just the knowledge they needed to pass a class or win a competition, but the knowledge that would help them through life and to make the right decisions.
“Bill was always a bit of a mother hen,” Keys said. “He saw something in me that I couldn’t see, and I think he did that with so many people. And whether you were an athlete or just a student, his door was open, and he was always there to help you get an advantage in the game.”
On Thanksgiving, Neal and his wife Donnie would open their home to anyone in the Richland community who needed a place to go for the holiday, offering food, fun and even just a place to learn for some. Their ranch is about 50 acres, and contains the Neal home, as well as barns, animal pens and fields of grass for the animals to roam. The name of their ranch: Lazy Gator Ranch.
Kelly Sonnanstine, Richland’s coordinator of student life, brought up her own experience with Neal’s Thanksgiving gatherings, and shared her story of how she began attending the annual get-together.
“I hadn’t even met him at that point, but I sheepishly emailed him, and I was like, ‘Does this really mean anybody? Can I bring my family?’ and he replied ‘Yeah, come on out!’ and ever since then, we would go every year.”
The gathering was also popular for international students who hadn’t experienced Thanksgiving before, and who may not have ever been able to see ranch animals in real life. They were able to go to Neal’s ranch, and learn about the animals, as well as to experience the holiday with others at Lazy Gator Ranch.
It wasn’t just for Thanksgiving that Neal would invite students to his ranch. After his retirement from Richland, Neal would go on to coach kicking for the football team at Trinity Valley Community College, and Neal would invite students to Lazy Gator Ranch to practice, or even just to play a game or two of football. And in the summer, Neal would play football with his grandkids, once they had finished their chores, of course. His house was always open, and he never failed to make anyone who stepped foot on his property feel like family.
Neal could be best characterized as someone who didn’t want the attention on himself, and it could be seen in how he taught his students and worked with peers. He would always give back to those around him in some way, and as Donnie put it, he often took care of those around him like family. He would often donate to charities such as Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital and various animal charities, but he would even open his home to those who needed a place to stay during their time in Dallas.
Bill Neal left a mark on the history of Richland and the community as a whole, giving his very best to those around him. It made his students, peers and loved ones better for it. And because of his effect on others, Neal will be remembered fondly, as a true Thunderduck and a hero to many.
