We lost our husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend on September 9, 2020 at OHSU hospital in Portland to an underlying infection.
Neil was born at Elliot Community Hospital in Keene, NH to Richard Crosby and Leatrice (Willard) Crosby of East Swanzey, NH. He and his brother Gary were later adopted on February 20, 1953 by Samuel Town, Jr following Leatrice and Samuels’s marriage.
Neil is preceded in death by his parents; Brother Richard Crosby, Jr; and Sister Kathy Damon, Grandson Mackenzie; as well as 4 aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his loving Wife Kelly (Workman) Town, Brother Gary of La Pine, OR; Sister Lynn (Town) Nickels of Dana, IN; Brothers Ray Crosby of Swanzey, NH; David Crosby of Marlboro, NH; Sisters Janice (Crosby) Whitestone of Winchendon, MA; and Arlene (Crosby) Merrill of Winter Haven, FL. many, many nieces, nephews and cousins, and aunts Lana Willard and Lila (Willard) Carpenter.
Neil is also survived by his six loving children and 15 grandchildren. Gwendolyn Town (husband Joe Hogge, children Kira, Robbie and Jyssica); Gabriel Town (wife Jess, children Ryan, Alexis, Ben and Mason; stepson Gavin); Samuel Town (children Nathan and Nola); Leah (Town) Dixon (husband Jamie, children Chance, Taydem, and Leo); Jennifer Town (husband Tom Applegate, children Kirstin and Zoie); and Tonya Falconer. Neil was also a foster/surrogate of many.
Neil was retired and living with his wife Kelly in Sheridan, OR when he passed; but had very much of an entrepreneurial career. He started out helping to work his father’s dairy farm, and later was an arborist for his father’s tree business in California. He then obtained a welding apprenticeship and travelling throughout the US and worked on a paving road crew. He was injured on the job, and shortly after obtained a structural engineering degree. He started his own painting/construction business “High Desert Painting” based in La Pine, OR. He also owned and operated the local La Pine video store “Armchair Theater” for several years and raised and bred alpacas. In 2007, after successfully operating his construction business for over 25 years, he started a poker tournament business across Central Oregon. In 2009 he accepted the Ranch Manager position for “Amber Autumn Alpacas” in Culver, OR. He officially retired in 2012.
Neil loved the outdoors, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, motorcycling and snowmobiling, as well as golf and softball. He has coached the La Pine High School baseball team and was an avid supporter and member of many of the La Pine school parent programs and clubs. He was also an avid poker player and competed in the WSOP in 2008 and 2013.
Donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation, National Liver Foundation or OHSU’s Onward OHSU foundation, which funds new programs for OHSU and Doernbecher Children’s hospital.
Services will be held in La Pine on October 31, place and time to be released later.