Neal C.

Neal was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up on Long Island with his older sister Robyn and his younger brother Louis. In 1996, the family moved to Colorado and Neal acquired another brother and sister, Ansley and Jamie. Neal graduated from Conifer High School having studied computer science at Warren Tech for combined high school/college credit. He attended Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood and later taught in the Computer Science Department there. He worked for the Pepsi Center and the Colorado Avalanche during the 2001 Stanley Cup season and before. He later worked for NineSystems and then Akamai as a Project/Applications Manager. He loved powerful computers and fancy electronics, the NBA, the Avalanche, fast cars, pretty girls, and Las Vegas. He adored his family and friends and loved to laugh.

After experiencing a year of mysterious pain in his left arm, neck, and shoulder, Neal was diagnosed with Stage 4 Ewing sarcoma in August 2006. Neal embarked immediately on the most aggressive treatment he could find. Most of that treatment was done at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver under the care of Dr. Michael Wang. During his many days and nights at that facility in the last year, Neal was a help and inspiration to other patients and families as they were to him. He passed away at Children’s Colorado late in the evening of July 19th surrounded by his loving parents Jim and Harriet, his siblings, friends, and the fantastic caring staff of 5A.