Vincent D. Neil
February 1, 1936 - January 19, 2013

Vincent D. Neil, 76, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away on January 19, 2013, after a long struggle with cancer. Mr. Neil is survived by sons, Vincent of Arizona, Michael and Brian of Long Island, New York, a daughter, Mary Ellen, of Kentucky, many grandchildren, and his last love, Christiane, of Melbourne and Switzerland. At his request, there will be no funeral. Any and all further arrangements will be private.

Mr. Neil was born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and grew up there and later, near Montreal. His first job was as a civilian aircraft parts tracker for the Royal Canadian Air Force near Montreal. After high school, he moved to Illinois and joined the U.S. Air force with duty at McChord AFB near Tacoma, Washington, and later on Guam, as a crewman on the Boeing B-50, a later version of the B-29. While still in the USAF, he was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in Washington, D.C.

After discharge, Mr. Neil became a ferry pilot of new, light aircraft for a short time in Illinois. Soon, he accepted a position in Washington D.C. as the principal liaison to the government of all U.S. charter airlines at the time, with emphasis on government-contracted military air charters. By about 1970, Mr. Neil's expertise had become widely respected in the field and earned him a position as Assistant Vice President of Marketing/Director of Aircraft Scheduling at ONA (Overseas National Airlines) at JFK airport in New York City. ONA was an international charter airline operating a fleet of DC-10 and DC-8 passenger aircraft out of JFK, and Lockheed Electra freighters based in the mid-west. During that time, Mr. Neil lived in Bayshore and Long Beach on Long Island, New York.

Just before deregulation of the U.S. airlines, Mr. Neil resigned from ONA and formed his own aviation consultancy in Missouri. Deregulation soon made that effort moot, and he returned to New York, where he became a model in print and television advertisements. He was most notable as the man in the Grecian Formula print and TV ads. He also appeared as the captain of the court martial of Captain Queeg in the off-broadway play, The Caine Mutiny, and appeared as an extra in a Woody Allen movie, among others. Subsequently, Mr. Neil and an associate formed a successful limousine service. When the business was sold, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he became a deputy in state law enforcement. Finally, in 1999, he fully retired to Melbourne, Florida, where he met Christiane. Together, they also enjoyed a summer residence in Switzerland.

Mr. Neil held membership in the American Motorcyclist Association and the National Rifle Association. He was an expert aircraft modeler, both static and RC (radio controlled). He was also known for his comprehensive knowledge of WWII air operations.

Vincent D. Neil will be missed by all who knew him.