William “Bill” John McNeil
From Lincoln, Nebraska
Born on March 25, 1950.
Passed away on August 20, 2019.
No services scheduled at this time.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
Condolences for William “Bill” John McNeil
Bill was hands-down the funniest, talented, and most engaging professor I ever had. He was also truly caring. He made such an impact on my career.
Dr. McNeil was one of the greats. My time with him at Wesleyan truly set me on a path of success in clinical psychology. I looked forward to our interactions and his courses with so much enthusiasm. He went on sabbatical shortly after I graduated and was hard to track down. I would have loved to catch up with him after college. I just learned that he passed away and my heart is heavy. I’m sending love to all of his family, friends and former students/colleagues. We are all better people having known him.
Professor McNeil really believed in his students and had a nack for helping students to find their calling within the psychology field. On my first day of Intro to Counseling he told me to apply for grad school because I would become a therapist. I just opened my own private practice two years ago and owe much of my success to him.
My heart is heavy right now, finding out that we have lost one of the best. I will never forget your hovering with excitement by the TV while showing video clips in class, calling at students in the hallway while you were teaching, then telling them you were “just teaching college,” hearing about the tricks you played on your assigned therapist, the blowgun, or the fact that you brought flowers to my graduation party. Your sense of humor was one of a kind, and I will always look back fondly on our talks in your office. I am so thankful to have had you as a teacher. If I am able to become half the teacher you were, I will have succeeded.
“How lucky [we are] to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”
Bill was such a kind and gentle soul. He is beloved by the many students, staff, and faculty at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
I treasured Bill as a colleague at Wesleyan. I coordinate services for students with disabilities, and Bill helped me a great deal when I needed help understanding documentation for students with mental health diagnoses. He was an excellent teacher, and students adored him. His retirement left a hole in our community. I miss his presence. I hope that your memories bring you comfort.
Mr. McNeil was my first professor at NWU. He will always be one of my most influential professors as well. He cared about me as an individual. He listened to my young view of life and the world and did his best to impart his experiences without being condescending. He was always honest and open. I’m a better person for knowing him. My thoughts are with him and his family.
Dr. McNeil was a wonderful professor and one of the reasons I’m in the field of social services. He made a lasting impact on my life!
I was a student of Bill’s at NWU, but you’d have never known by the way he treated and respected me. Bill’s abnormal psychology class was a joy for me and Bill’s humor was a treat. I signed up for every class Bill taught after that first semester because he made learning fun for me. I regularly visited him in his office just to talk and he always made himself available to me. Everyone should be blessed to have a teacher/mentor impact their life like Bill did for me. I’m saddened to realize I’ll never hear his signature chuckle again.
Bill was one of a kind. He was such a genuine soul who had an amazing knack for making you feel valued and heard. He was compassion wrapped in humor with a side of honest interest in people. He will be remembered and missed.
Bill was a wonderful mentor and colleague. His good humor and warm heart made colleagues and students comfortable and eager to learn from him. We began immediately missing Bill when he retired from NWU, but respected his desire for privacy.
He is missed.
Dr. McNeil was such an influential figure in my undergraduate career at Wesleyan and future life choices. His classes were always intriguing and engaging, and his real-life experiences were excellent teaching tools. He was inspiring, knowledgeable, and always willing to just sit and chat about life. I feel privileged to have been able to know him, and I learned so much from him. He was an amazing professor and mentor.
Bill was the best. I am so sad to see he has passed away. Godspeed Bill