The second of five children born to Thomas Raymond Neylon, Sr. and Nelly Juanita (nee Rutter), Tom was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on February 6, 1929. He attended Christian Brothers High School, where upon graduation he attended North West Missouri State on a basketball scholarship. Always an excellent athlete, Tom played on several championship basketball teams and was awarded the Regional Golden Gloves boxing title.
Tom enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War. Stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Tom would speak of these years with great reverence, both for the Corps and for the men with whom he served.
Upon his discharge from the Marines, Tom went to work for Socony-Vacuum in St. Louis, Missouri where he met his wife, Elsa. Coaching the women's company softball team, Tom would keep Elsa on the bench just so he could talk to her. They were married on July 2, 1955 and would go on to have three children. They enjoyed a wonderfully adventurous life together until Elsa's death in 1997.
In 1959, Tom accepted a position at General Foods as a sales representative for the Maxwell House Division. He quickly rose through the ranks and held several sales and management positions with Maxwell House over the next ten years. During these years, he would move his family six times (St. Louis, MO; Crestkill, NJ; Oklahoma, OK; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; and Plymouth, MI). In 1969, he was named National Sales Manager of the Military Division and he relocated his family to Ridgefield, CT.
Tom's career with General Foods continued to advance, and in 1974 he was named VP of Sales for South East Asia. At a time when American businesses were opening up trade with Asia, Tom moved his family to Singapore and the grand adventure began. While he established General Foods in the new markets of Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, etc., he and his family would travel the world. Tom and his wife, Elsa, would continue this passion long after his retirement. At the time of his death, Tom had traveled to all six major continents and had visited more than 30 countries.
Tom was an avid golfer, and his favorite place to be on a sunny summer afternoon was at The Ridgewood Country Club. Even after his golfing days were over, he enjoyed sitting on the patio visiting with friends and watching the golfers come up the 18th. He would speak with tongue-in-cheek pride that he won two inaugural events at the club: the first Couples Classic Golf Tournament (with wife, Elsa) and the first Men's Set Back Card Tournament.
In his later years, there was nothing that Tom enjoyed more than spending time with his family. He always had a story to tell about his adventures and the people he met along the way. Even as his health failed him, he found great joy in life and in those he loved. He was loved by so many and admired and respected by even more.
Tom is survived by his daughter, Susan Dolan, and her husband, Robert, of Bethel and his daughter-in-law, Dorene Neylon-Dalpe, of Newtown. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Thomas Neylon and Stephen (and his wife, Nicole) Neylon, all of Danbury; and John Dolan, Samuel Dolan, and Margaret Dolan, all of Bethel. He is also survived by his brothers, J. Jospeph Neylon of Oklahoma, and Stephen Neylon of Missouri.
Tom was pre-deceased by his wife, Elsa Louise (nee Webbink); his son, Frederick Dale Neylon; and his daughter, Patricia Ann Neylon. He was also pre-deceased by his parents; his sister, Virginia Laschober; and his infant brother, David Neylon.
A Mass and Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11am on Friday, June 19, 2015 at St. Mary's Church, 24 Dodgingtown Road (Route 302), Bethel, CT. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery, Ridgefield.
Friends will be received from 10am – 10:45am on Friday, June 19, 2015 at St. Mary Church, Bethel.
Contributions in Tom's memory may be made to Bethel Visiting Nurse Association, 70 Stony Hill Rd., Bethel, CT 06801 or to the Stony Hill Volunteer Fire Dept., 59 Stony Hill Rd., Bethel, CT 06801.