Lucile A McNiel

Alma Lucile Johnston McNiel, age 95, moved her place of residence from Mesquite Texas to her home in heaven with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on July 21, 2022. She now resides where there is no more sickness, pain, crying, mourning or death, but there is peace, joy, rest and everlasting life.

Lucile was born in Dallas, Texas to John Paul Johnston and Katherine Amanda Rutherford Johnston on June 24, 1927. She had two older half-brothers, Billie Howe Johnston and Perry Rutherford Johnston. Their mother, Amanda, had been married to Perry B Johnston when her brothers were born. Perry or "Daddy Boy" died in a diving accident, and a few years later, Amanda married Perry's brother John Paul, Lucile's father, who was a Church of Christ minister.

After graduating from high school in Dallas at age 16, Lucile attended and graduated from Abilene Christian College, now Abilene Christian University. Later, she was a graduate of Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. She taught at Abilene Christian College and at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas. However, most of her career was as a bank trust officer beginning at Texas Bank and ending at Bank of America. She finished her career as a trust department vice president, a position usually not open to women at that time.

Although Lucile spent many years as a single, career woman, at age 49, her life and status changed. She married Charles Larkin "Bill" McNeil on November 5, 1976, who was the brother of her long-time friend, Vergie McNiel. That's how Lucile gained a large extended family beyond her birth family. Bill and Lucile were married for 23 years until he passed away in 1999. In 2001, she and her sister-in-law, Vergie, moved into the Greenway apartments at Christian Care.

Lucile can be best described as a woman of noble character who loved and served the Lord Jesus first and then loved and served everyone He brought into her life. Among those services were the following: She served most of her adult life at Skillman Avenue Church of Christ by teaching Bible credit classes and a Ladies Sunday School Class. She cared for many family members and friends until they died and then settled their estates. She volunteered her time in many areas on the Christian Care Campus. She gave generously out of her resources.

She is survived by her daughter, Peggy Sharon Peters, her granddaughters Pamela Peters and Paula Jones, great grandsons, Lane Jones and Christian Jones and a large family of nephews, nieces, great and great-great nephews and nieces and many friends. Lucile was laid to rest at Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas, on July 25, 2022, at a family graveside service.

We wish to offer a sincere thank you to those in the Hospice program and Moore House Hall at Christian Care Center who so lovingly cared for Lucile during her last few weeks. Their kindness will be remembered. Memorials may be made to Christian Care Center at 1000 Wiggins Pkwy., Mesquite, TX. 75150