SOUTH THOMASTON — Kearny Neagle, 70, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 22, at home with her husband Paul, daughter Jill, and her sister Beth closely at her side after a long courageous fifteen-month duel with pancreatic cancer.

Kearny was born June 2, 1952, in Chicago to parents Lucius and Elizabeth Cole. She attended Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1970 where she met her future husband, Paul Neagle. Kearny and Paul were married May 26, 1973. She graduated with a BS in Management in 1978 from University of Maryland. She also earned a Juris Doctorate in 1991 from Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Covington, Kentucky.

Kearny lived with Paul in Wisconsin, California, Japan, Michigan, Texas and they lived in Cincinnati, Ohio for 25 years before happily retiring to Maine in 2013.

In Cincinnati she faithfully volunteered for many years at the League for Animal Welfare and also volunteered as Activities Director at SEM Haven Nursing home. In Maine, Kearny was very active in her church, serving on many committees and events. She also spent many years as a cat and dog volunteer at the Pope Memorial Animal Shelter cleaning cat cages, socializing kittens, and walking dogs. She was also a trained volunteer for Dogs Playing for Life program (DPFL) at the Pope.

She served the town of South Thomaston on the clamming committee as well as serving the town on the public health committee. She also spent three years as a director of the HOA neighborhood here in Maine.

Her law work experience in Cincinnati included time as a law clerk, Child Support Prosecutor, Public Defender, private law practice, Trial Counsel, and Family Law Magistrate.

Kearny dearly loved fishing and did so throughout her entire life. She and Paul also spent many years licensed non-commercial lobstering in the St. George River. Kearny drove the boat and Paul pulled the traps. Kearny loved her grandchildren and always wanted them around. Kearny loved gardening flowers and growing vegetables. She was very active in her Bible Study weekly in Belfast as well as a knitting group in Belfast. Kearny loved life and being active. One friend, upon learning of her passing wrote, “She was one of the good people and the world needs more people in it like her.”

Kearny is survived by her husband of 50 years of marriage, Paul; daughters Sarah Wiggins and son-in-law Nick Wiggins, Jill Neagle; grandchildren Shannon (10), Evan (9) and Ayla (11 months); her sister, Beth Dickerson and brother-in-law Paul Dickerson; her brother, Bill Cole and sister-in-law Alexandra Cole, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 2 p.m., at the Peoples United Methodist Church, 13 Chapel Street, South Thomaston, Maine with a reception in fellowship hall after the service. The Memorial can also be viewed on the church’s Facebook watch live page. For details or help please contact the church via email at pumcst5518@gmail.com. Later in the year there will be private family internments in Maine and in Chicago.

The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and CNAs at Pen Bay Hospital, Miles Hospital, Woodward Gardens, and Maine Healthcare Hospice. Their care and support of Kearny was exceptional.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to: Pope Humane Society of Knox County, PO Box 1294, Rockland, ME 04842 Popehumane.org, or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Pancan.org

To share a memory or story with Kearny’s family, please visit their online Book of Memories at www.bchfh.com