Larry J. Neeley

Larry J. Neeley, 89, passed away Tuesday afternoon, June 24, at Fairfield Medical Center surrounded by his family. Larry was born on March 19, 1936 in Lancaster to Floyd and Ida Marie Neeley of Millersport.

Larry grew up on the farm and attended Millersport Schools except for the last year and a half, he attended Lancaster High School, where he graduated in 1953.

He attended Otterbein College and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. After college, Larry went on to work as a reporter in Barberton and then in 1960, at the Massillon Evening Independent, where he was a reporter and photographer for 33 years.

Larry met Janet Jenkins, a nurse, while in the Barberton area and they were married in 1960, as his job at the Independent began. They were members of First Baptist Church in Massillon. Larry was a member of the Newspaper Guild and continued in contact with his Guild friends.

In 1993, Larry and Janet moved back to their Bicentennial Farm at Millersport, which has been in the family since 1813, where they carried on its management. They are members of the First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster and Licking Land Trust, which has preserved much of the farm in a conservation easement. Preserving the land has become an important passion for the Neeleys.

Larry is survived by his wife, Janet; their daughter, Martha Marie Valadez (Frank); their son, Paul Lindsay Neeley (Yilin Cindy), and two grandchildren, Janet Romo Bridgett (Devhan) and Kyle Neeley.

A funeral service will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM at the Johnson-Smith Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Nathan Loudon officiating. Friends and family may visit on Friday, June 27, 2025 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturday from 10:00am to 11:00am. Burial will follow the service at Maple Grove Cemetery, Baltimore, Ohio.

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