Neill McLaurin Beatty passed away June 15, 2017. He was born, September 12, 1932 in Elizabethtown, NC the youngest of three children. While attending Elizabethtown High School, he joined the Navy Reserve in Wilmington as a Seaman Recruit. Following high school, he served in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman for 2 years.

He married Virginia "Ginger" Rogers Hester on November 23, 1957. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts from NC State, where he both taught and earned a Master's Degree in Industrial Arts. He worked for West Virginia Pulp and Paper in Covington, VA from 1964 to1967 and for Oxford Paper in Rumford, ME from 1967 to 1971. He worked for Oscar Mayer Foods in Madison, WI from 1971 until retirement. He and Ginger moved back to Raleigh in November of 1993.

He was involved in church activities throughout his life including being an elder at Parkside Presbyterian Church in Madison, WI and Elder Emeritus at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. He enjoyed ham radio, target shooting, growing and propagating plants for the yard, and fixing anything that needed fixing. He was known for his sense of humor throughout his life. He volunteered at Rex Hospital for 21 years with his wife and received the one-thousand-hour pin.

Neill and Ginger loved taking cruises. Over a period of 23 years they took almost 40 cruises around the world with Holland America earning the status of five-star mariner. He was preceded in death by his wife Ginger Beatty of 57 years, his parents John Day and Beulah Cooper Beatty, and his sister Beulah Beatty Andrews.

He is survived by his daughters Catherine Beatty Minjkives and Carolyn Beatty Johnson and husband Dale, all of RaleighÍ 6 grandchildrenÍ and his sister Laura Day Beatty Rosser of Sanford.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, June 24 at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church. A private interment will be held at Montlawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to First Presbyterian Church, 112 S. Salisbury St. Raleigh 27601-1344.