NEIL HARRISON MCGRATH

On November 29, 2007 after a courageous four-year battle with cancer, Neil passed away at the age of 60. He was comforted in his final hours by his loving wife Lanice, children, Lindsay, Rory, Kaela, and William and their families.

Neil, the youngest of four children, was born on December 13, 1946 to Harrison and Betsy McGrath in Binghamton, New York. When he was 11 months old, his family moved to Buckeye, Arizona. Neil attended school, played baseball, and loved the warmth and wide open spaces of the desert. He received a scholarship to play baseball at Arizona State University, but due to a long bout with the flu was unable to complete the term. He then enlisted into the U.S. Navy serving from 1965 - 1969 with two tours in Viet Nam aboard the USS Annapolis and on the destroyer USS Edson as a Fire Control Technician. He was very proud of the time he spent serving his country.

Neil's pride in civil service continued with positions as police officer in Farmington, New Mexico, reserve deputy sheriff for Benton County, and over 20 years as a Hanford Patrolman.

In 1971, Neil moved to Simi Valley, California. While attending the Church of Christ with his brother Jerry, he met and later married his wife Lanice on March 1, 1974. In 1979, while visiting his in-laws in Richland, Washington, Neil decided he missed the desert and wide-open spaces and decided to move there to raise his family.

After moving to Richland, he began one of his favorite jobs, working as a model maker for Olympic Engineering. In the fall of 1984, he began Basic Training for Hanford Patrol on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and remained with them until March of 2005. He was proud of the work he did and especially enjoyed the camaraderie of his ''Patrol family''.

Though you may not know Neil by name, he never knew a stranger and has shared many stories with countless people in malls, parking lots, antique stores and tourist spots across the United States-especially about the USS Edson and the four years he served in the Navy.

Neil had many hobbies, including wood-working, video games, finding great buys at Harbor Freight, and a life-long love of hot rods. In 2003, he started on his dream of building a kit car by converting his 1986 Fiero into a 1966 GT40.

Through the generous support of family and friends, the last piece of his dream car was completed the day before his death.

Neil was deeply loved and will be missed by his large, close-knit family, including his Christian family in both Richland and Simi Valley, CA, and many friends and acquaintances.

He is survived by Lanice, his wife of 33 years; his children, Lindsay Fish and her husband Isaac, Rory McGrath, Kaela Krzan and her husband Jesse all of Richland, Washington, and William McGrath and his wife Sally of Port Orchard, Washington; his brother Gerald McGrath and his wife Shirley of Simi Valley, California; his sister Shirley Toth of Chula Vista, California, and his brother Ronald McGrath and his wife Donelda of North Carolina. He is also survived by his parents-in-law, AI and Pat Lindsay of Richland, Washington, sister-in-law, Terry Law of Richland, Washington, sister-in-law, Lynette Jones and her husband Harvey of Richland, Washington, sister-in-law Karla Smith and her husband Eric of Kennewick, Washington, grandchildren, Alexis, Kenadie and Emelia Fish, Tabatha, Kendra, Jonathan and Kristopher McGrath, and 10 nephews and 7 nieces.

He is preceded in death by both of his parents and his brother-in-law Alex Toth.

We wish to thank all of the many people that provided care and love to Neil throughout his battle, including all of the nurses at The Tri-Cities Cancer Center and Hospice at the Chaplaincy, especially Pat, Gloria, Stephanie, Tina, Sue and Amy.

A graveside service with Military Rites will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens at 10:00 a.m. on December 8,2007, followed by a memorial celebration of his life at 11 :00 a.m. at the Richland Church of Christ 933 Thayer.

If you wish, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Tri-Cities Cancer Center and Hospice at the Chaplaincy.