Dorothy Anne "Dot" McNeil

Dorothy "Dot" Anne Reeves McNeil passed from this life to "meet Jesus" on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Dorothy Anne Reeves was born on December 5, 1936, in Kennett, Missouri to James Andrew MacCleveland Reeves (M.C.) and Grace Elise Cowart Reeves. She was the youngest of three children by 12 and 16 years, making her the true baby of the family. She was doted on by her parents and carried around on dates by her siblings. Dot spent a lot of time with her "Daddy' who was a WWI veteran and farmer. She used to ride with him to sell and deliver watermelons and other farm produce in Kennett and surrounding towns. He would take her to town with him to visit and give her money to get an ice cream. Dot would tell you she was a "daddy's girl", and her eyes always lit up when she talked about her Daddy,

Dot was a pretty girl and had a lot of friends when she was in school. She was in several clubs during her time at Kennett High School including F.H.A., Glee and Pep clubs. She played in the band all four years and was voted "Indian Princess" her senior year in 1955. She knew that she wanted to be a nurse; so after graduation she moved to Memphis, Tennessee and attended Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. While she was in nursing school, she met the love of her life, a Texan named Jimmy McNeil, who was in optometry school at Southern College of Optometry. They met one night when he and his friends were down in front of her dormitory where she happened to be sitting in the window studying; Her dorm was across the street from his school. They began talking and it was "love" at first sight. When they married on June 20, 1957, they each still had a year of schooling left to finish. Dot was supposed to be "single" and live in the dormitory, so she had to sneak out at night to stay with Jimmy in their apartment and sneak back in again in the morning. The nursing school did figure out what was going on because soon her correspondence was addressed to "Mrs. Dorothy McNeil."

After graduation in 1958, Jimmy's military deferment was up so they moved to Montgomery Alabama for basic training and-then to Harlingen for his three-year assignment as Base Optometrist at Harlingen Air Force Base. Dot and Jimmy made many friends' (some lifelong) and were active at the Church of Christ while they were stationed there. They had their first child, Anne in 1959, while they were still in Harlingen. When Jimmy finished his enlistment in 1961, he, Dot, and two-year-old Anne moved to Abilene where he joined the optometry practice, of his brother-in-law Grady Jolly.

Dot was a wife, mother, and homemaker, and before long they added two more children, Wally in 1962 and then Mike in 1964. To say that Dot was busy would be an understatement. Besides keeping the house clean and washing clothes, she sewed most of Anne's and her own clothes for years. She cooked breakfast every morning and a hot meal for supper every night. Dot never had the opportunity to take her nursing boards, so she was not a practicing nurse. She may not have had a career as a nurse, but she was a nurse for Jimmy and her children, extended family members, friends, college kids and her dog and many cats. She gave medicine and shots, drove people to see doctors, to radiation appointments, and sat with them when they were in the hospital. Dot took care of several family members at the end of their lives. She helped care for her mother back in Missouri. She also helped care for Nell (her sister-in-law), Mammaw, Granny, and Pappaw, and Dot spent months away from home caring for their son Mike before he passed in 1995.

She drove carpools for about 15 years including carpools for the kid's band, football, basketball and tennis activities. Monday was her regular school carpool day, when she had three separate carpools that she would combine together. She could be seen with a station wagon bulging with kids of various grade levels at one time (it is a wonder that she was sane).

In addition to all of this, Dot was in the PTA, homeroom mother, and taught cradle roll at Highland Church of Christ. She was on the City Council PTA, volunteer at West Texas Medical Center and Humana Hospital. She worked at the ACU Bookstore at the beginning and end of semester, Lectureship and Bible Teachers Workshop and Abilene Educational Supply whenever they needed a hardworking hand. She enjoyed talking with the college kids- and teachers and helping them find just what they needed. She was in a Supper Club, Women for ACU, the-Auxiliary for the Texas Optometric Association, and she volunteered during the West Texas Fair and Rodeo and Western Heritage events. Dot was a charter member of the Abilene Community Band and played the baritone-beginning July 4,1976 through August of 2024 (48 years). She loved the band and continued going to practice whenever she felt able, even though she could no longer play-after her stroke.

Dot's grandmother name was Momma Dot, and she loved and enjoyed her grandkids. She rocked them, kissed boo-boos, read books, taught them how to take care of their baby dolls, and sang to them, teaching them all "Bushel and a Peck." Momma Dot babysat Trey, Aubrey and Mattie when they were young and lived in Abilene. She also helped out with Nichole, Bryson and Michael when Anne was in nursing school and then working. When Anne was at the hospital and Doug was on duty, Momma Dot would get the kids up, fed and off to school, and/or pick them up after school, and sometimes feeding them supper and getting them off to bed. When great grandkids came along, she enjoyed them too and she said that they were named correctly because they are great!

Dot was the love of Jimmy's life, and he was the love of her life. She said that he was her twin and her other half. When Jimmy passed suddenly from a heart attack six and a half years ago, Dot said that she felt sad and lost. The two of them had fun and did almost everything together. They split meals and finished each other's sentences. For 61 years they laughed, argued, teased, sang songs and held hands. They were fun to be around. Dot has been waiting for a long time to be reunited with Jimmy and now they are finally together again.

Dot was preceded in death by her parents M.C. and Grace, her brother Cleve Wyatt "Bill" Reeves, her sister Lessie Elise Humble, husband Dr. Jimmy Wallace McNeil, Sr., son Dr. Michael "Mike" Jay McNeil, father-in-law W.L. McNeil, mothers-in-law Ethyl Sarah McNeil and Bernice Ware McNeil, great granddaughters, Ella Capri Hickey and Sedona Grace Reno. She is survived by two children, 11 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandson: daughter Anne Reno (Doug) and their children Nichole Reno-Meiron (Will), Bryson Reno (Jenn Pahona), and Michael Reno (Michelle), and son Wally McNeil (Kristy) and their children Trey McNeil (Paige) Aubrey McNeil (Matt Dickinson), Mattie Vasquez (Patrick), Jase McNeil (Taylor), Kylee Akers (Clay), Karlee McNeil, Kirsty McNeil (Hudson Johnson), and Kammy McNeil; great grandchildren Allison Reno, Parker Kitchen, Brendan Carr, Hayden McNeil, Knox Dickinson, Vada Dickinson, Harper Reno, Cruz Vasquez, Maddox Dickinson, Nolan McNeil, Camilla Vasquez, and Watson Akers, adopted great grandchildren Merissa, CJ and Marley Jimenez; great-great grandson Atlas Reno; niece Alice Humble Maack (Rob) and their children Nathan Maack (Sarah) and Jonathan Maack (Kristina) and nephew Rick Humble also nephews Larry Reeves, Joe Reeves, and Randal Reeves, and nieces Cheryl Reeves Hildreth and Janet Reeves Matlock.

Visitation will be 5:00pm to 7:00pm on Monday April 28, 2025 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home at 6449 Buffalo Gap Rd., Abilene, TX.

Funeral services will be 2:00pm Tuesday April 29, 2025 at Hillcrest Church of Christ 650 E. Ambler, Abilene, TX. with burial at Elmwood Memorial Park 5750 US-277, Abilene, TX. under the care of Hamil Family Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Joe Stephens, David Hall, Melvin Martin, Dan McKnight, Chuck Statler, Jack Frazier, Joe Clark, and Peter Agnell.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Rachael Valfre with Grand Choices for her expertise, wonderful care, compassion and comfort, and precious friendship with Dot and our family. We would also like to thank Touching Hearts At Home (Lori, Dawn and Christine) for their kindness, care and diligence, and Hospice of the Big Country for helping Dot and us prepare for this final journey with comfort and peace of mind.

The family requests that memorials be made to:

Christian Homes & Family Services at https://christianhomes.com/give-today

Hospice of the Big Country at https://westtexasrehab.org/donation

Ben Richey Boys Ranch at https://benrichey.org/donations

the Abilene Community Band at http://abilenecommunityband.org/?page_id=751 or please mail a check to the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 2281, Abilene, TX 79604. Please make the check out to the Abilene Chamber of Commerce and put “Abilene Community Band Donation” on the memo line.

or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org