Obituary of Kenneth E. Neville

Kenneth Edward Neville, a longtime Madison resident, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022 at the age of 62.

Ken is survived by his wife, Dawn Neville (née DeBiasse); his four children, Natasha, Samantha, Eric and Thomas Neville; his sister, Lynda Moscatello and her husband Martin; his granddaughter, Adelay Neville; beloved nieces and nephews, Jason, Dan, Erin, Alyssa and Joey; and many beloved cousins and friends.

He was predeceased by his son, Kenneth Edward Neville II; and siblings, Larry Neville and Patricia Henry.

Ken was born in Rahway on May 11th, 1960 to the late Gilbert and Phyllis Neville. He grew up between Kenilworth and Knowlton Township, living in a home in Kenilworth and spending weekends and summers on a farm in Knowlton Township. He was a graduate of Kenilworth High School.

Ken was a man of many talents, having been a gifted excavator and backhoe operator, and talented heavy equipment repairman. He was at the forefront of environmental remediation along with his wife, Dawn, and would always proudly point out locations where he’d removed oil tanks or did other cleanup work across New Jersey. 

Ken’s most recent passion was his involvement in the Madison High School Marching Band, designing and building sets for the band to use during their shows and serving as the transportation guru. He designed all show props so that they would last through inclement weather, field performances, and long distance travel alike; and would convert his garage into a workshop where he would spend the summer creating them. He transported the props and band equipment to every show, making trips around New Jersey and Pennsylvania and even as far as Disney World in Florida, and continued to volunteer for the band even after his children graduated. He was extremely delighted to see his granddaughter become an active member of the Marching Dodgers last Spring and was determined to make it through this season. 

Ken never met a stranger, could make anyone laugh, and could make anyone around him feel comfortable with his amicable and outgoing personality. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a memorial visitation held from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison with a wake service held at 4:00 PM during the visitation. A celebration of his life will follow that evening. 

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Ken’s memory may be made to the Madison Marching Dodgers Booster Club (MDBC), PO Box 34, Madison, NJ 07940