Obituary REV. L. B. NEALE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28986, 29 August 1959, Page 14

Obituary REV. L. B. NEALE

(New Zealand Press ' Association) AUCKLAND, August 27. The Rev. Leslie Bourneman Neale, of Mount Albert, associate minister at the Auckland Methodist City Mission, died yesterday. He was 73. He was well known in Christchurch and Dunedin.

Mr Neale was born in Devonport and studied at Pukekawa College and at Auckland and Canterbury University Colleges. During the First World War he served as a chaplain in France, Egypt and Gallipoli, and was wounded at Passchendaele. Afterwards he lived at Christchurch where he was a member of the Christchurch City Council. He was appointed to the St. Albans church, Christchurch, in 1924 where he served for seven years. During that period he initiated the work for the erection of the present church at Bryndwr. In 1931, he was appointed to the Dunedin Central Mission where he remained for 13 years. Later he moved to Dunedin where he established the ‘Radio Church.” being known to thousands as Uncle Leslie.”

Mr Neale established the first health camp for children in Dunedin and also founded the Even* tide Home for the aged. In 1940, Mr Neale became the centennial president of the Methodist Church of New Zealand and was also twice chairman of the Otago-Southland district. He received the M.B.E. in 1949 and the Efficiency Decoration in 1950. He was city missioner in Dunedin for 21 years before he retired and moved to Auckland. He is survived by his wife and one daughter, Mrs C. Peach, of Christchurch.