Couple dedicated to valley the namesake of school, park

Joseph and Estelle Neal have their corner of Las Vegas staked.

They host thousands of visitors a year, and about 700 of them each day come and go having learned a thing or two.

It's not their house, but all are welcome to Neal Elementary School and Estelle Neal Park in Centennial Hills.

The Clark County School District dedicated the school to Joseph Neal in 2000, and the city of Las Vegas devoted the 5-acre park to Estelle Neal a year later.

The namesake school, 6651 W. Azure Drive, and park, directly south of the school, honor former Nevada state Sen. Joseph Neal, D-North Las Vegas, and his late wife.

Joseph Neal spent decades in personnel administration and served in the Nevada Senate from 1973 to 2004.

"It's a joy to behold knowing that you have contributed," the 76-year-old said recently from his longtime North Las Vegas home.

His wife was a dietitian and consultant who worked at Las Vegas-area hospitals and nursing homes. She also was a longtime parks and recreation advocate, according to the city of Las Vegas Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

She died at 57 of breast cancer in 1997.

"I know he misses her very much," Neal Elementary School principal Denise Murray said.

Joseph Neal is active at his namesake school. He attends school year-opening ceremonies and important events, such as last year's 10th anniversary celebration, Murray said.

"He always has words of encouragement," Murray said. "But he's very modern. He tells them what to know for 2011."

She cited his advice to students to be prepared to "compete in a global world," among his usual pearls of wisdom.

"I'm a person that believes you should train people to think, and when you train them to think, they can do great things," he said.

Joseph Neal shares stories from his upbringing in Louisiana and time in the U.S. Air Force, Murray said. One regular anecdote he shares is how he used to break, or train, mustang horses for $5 during his teen years.

The school's mascot is a mustang.

Although Estelle Neal's namesake park is separate from the school, Murray said some school outings are hosted on its fields.

"Our students definitely visit it on their way home from school," she said.

Joseph Neal had many school days in his life after completing a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force. He graduated from Southern University in Louisiana and the Institute of Applied Science in Chicago. He also earned a law degree at Southern University.

Although he was highly educated, when he returned to Las Vegas in the early 1960s he worked as a janitor. On the heels of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Joseph Neal demanded a better job within the company, he said.

He got it.

He left his first personnel administration job for a gig with the Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Company Inc. and retired as assistant to the general legal counsel 25 years later.

His next career chapter was in the political arena.

He had a few failed bids for state Assembly and Senate seats before landing a position he'd hold for 33 years.

During his time in the upper house, Neal served on every senate committee and chaired the Legislative Human Resources and the Natural Resources committees. In the 2001 session, he was the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee and also sat on the Taxation and Government Affairs committees.

He ran for governor in 1998 but didn't win. His re-election for his eighth Senate term in 2000 was a record-tying milestone at the time.

"I'm proud of the work we got done," he said.

His love affair with his college sweetheart is something of which he's equally proud, he said.

Joseph and Estelle Neal met while attending Southern University. She was a librarian, and Joseph Neal said he remembered eyeing her while he was supposed to be researching a paper.

Estelle Neal was two years younger than her suitor, but Joseph Neal waited on her until she moved to the West Coast for an internship. He drove each weekend to visit her in Long Beach, Calif.

After they wed, they set up a home life in North Las Vegas. The family had only two addresses in about 50 years, Joseph Neal said.

"She passed away in this house, in the room right across from me," Joseph Neal said during a recent phone interview.

Her death was a driving force in his decision to give up politics, he said.

"We had this ritual where she'd come up (to Carson City) with me for the legislative session and stay two weeks, and then I'd go home every weekend," he said. "She died in November 1997, and in the next session, it got kind of lonesome up there."

A few more sessions passed but the feeling didn't, he said.

"After I ran for re-election the last time, I said, 'It's just not working,' " he said. "I missed her."

Joseph and Estelle Neal were married for 32 years and have five children and eight grandchildren. Many of their children followed in their footsteps and attended Southern University. Their professions range from doctor to involvement in business; one daughter is in politics.

Students of Joseph Neal's namesake school petitioned to have nearby land dedicated to his wife.

"She would have very much so appreciated the park," he said. "It's a lovely park, and we all appreciate it."

Colleagues of Joseph Neal's nominated him for a namesake but he didn't know it.

"I was very surprised," he said.

Many of Joseph Neal's Senate votes had children and education in mind, according to the Clark County School District. He worked on a bill that allowed the creation of a funding source for the state library system and worked on issues regarding school and children in his legislative committees.

In retirement, Joseph Neal also taught at the College of Southern Nevada. He said he now fills his days with nonfiction books and light exercise.

He enjoys visiting his namesake school he said, but he doesn't intrude.

"I make a priority to visit but I try not to interfere," he said. "I always go when I have an invitation."

Murray said students revere the former senator.

"I often tell the students we are a very special school to have a namesake," Murray said.

For more information, visit schools.ccsd.net/neal.

Contact Centennial and North Las Vegas View reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@viewnews.com or 477-3839.