John F. Neville, Jr.

John Francis Neville Jr., M.D., formerly of Cotuit, MA, and Fayetteville, NY, died Thursday, October 18 at Serenity Hills Nursing Center in Wrentham, MA. He predeceased his wife of 66 years, Laura (White) Neville, by three days. He was 90 years old. Jack Neville was born in Somerville, MA, of Margaret Butler Neville and John F. Neville Sr. He grew up in Walpole, MA, earning varsity letters in football, hockey and baseball for Walpole High. He won a scholarship to Yale University where he also played baseball and hockey. After his freshman year, he entered an accelerated wartime degree program, enabling him to finish both his undergraduate degree and his medical degree in six years. At Yale Medical School he met his wife Laura, then one of only three female medical students. They were married in the Yale's Dwight Chapel on February 23, 1946. Jack graduated in 1946 as an Army lieutenant and did his internship and residency in St. Louis and Baltimore and basic training in San Antonio. Upon his discharge, he practiced in St. Louis and Pittsburgh before joining the Upstate Medical Center of New York in Syracuse as a thoracic surgeon and Professor of Surgery. While at Upstate, Jack worked closely with his surgical colleagues in the emerging fields of open heart and bypass surgery, heart-lung machines and cardiac pacemakers. His interest in computer technology led him to develop new ways to monitor patient progress during and after surgery. Jack immensely enjoyed working with medical students, using the Socratic Method to help them learn to think critically in any situation. After retiring in 1987, Jack and Laura moved to Cotuit, MA, where he enjoyed golfing, tinkering with his computers, and playing bridge, reaching the rank of Life Master. An avid reader, Jack was also a regular visitor to several area libraries, and over the last two decades had taken up the study of early constitutional history. His friends, neighbors and relatives could always count on his help in maneuvering through and understanding the medical system during crises. He is survived by his five children, John F. Neville III of Sedona, AZ, Margaret N. Holmes of Riverside, RI, Robert E. Neville of Mountain View, CA, Katherine Neville of Stroudsburg, PA, and Nancy L. Neville of Arlington, MA, as well as nine grandchildren and one great-grandson. The Nevilles were also devoted pet owners throughout their lives, leaving behind their latest feline companions, Calvin and Hobbes. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend a Memorial Gathering celebrating both Drs. John Francis Neville, Jr. and his wife, Laura (White) Neville, on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 410 East Genesee Street, Fayetteville, New York beginning at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Cotuit Library, 871 Main Street Cotuit, MA 02635.