Celebrating Walt Neil, Elder Day honoree

Walt Neil was born in Sacramento on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 1933. He grew up in Rio Vista on a little ranch filled with chickens, rabbits and pigs. His family sold the rabbit pelts to the military. Growing up, Walt’s parents and grandparents were very loving and good teachers of life.

When Walt was born, he lived in San Quentin State Prison because his grandfather was employed as a turnkey from 1906 and retired in 1947. While living at San Quentin State Prison during World War II, Walt can remember looking out over the Bay and watching all the military ships traveling in and out of the Pacific. He would also watch the sky as military aircraft prepared in their training maneuvers.

Growing up, Walt loved to fish and hunt. Walt held many jobs while in school such as washing cars, working in a gas station, paper route, tire changer where he held the record for changing a tire in a certain amount of time. He is also an Eagle Scout.

Walt had a large paper route of more than 300 customers and because of its size, his dad helped him purchase a car — a 1937 Chevy convertible, that Walt later sold for $150. Walt’s grandfather taught Walt how to drive his 1937 DeSoto while Walt sat on his lap.

Walt began college in Santa Rosa and then decided to join a union and become a contractor. But after exposure to digging trenches, he joined the forest service.

Walt also worked for Aerojet for nine years building engine kits for rockets, that ultimately went to the moon. He joined his father and purchased several prosperous commercial sites in and around the Bay Area, including So- lano County and the property where Green River Brewing and

Taproom is. Walt has owned that property since 1965. His son John Neil operates the thriving Green River Brewing and Taproom business. Walt met his wife Sally because his parents were friends of her parents, and they owned the local movie theater and the only motel in town. Walt and Sally eloped in 1965 in Reno.

From 1971 to 1983, Walt worked for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department in their Search and Rescue (SAR) division that covered close to 7,000 square miles in the northwest corner of Nevada. Washoe County Sheriff utilizes teams of citizen volunteers, as auxiliary deputies, to conduct SAR missions. SAR specialists like Walt are essential for locating people in distress, delivering them