Donald Clay Neville

Donald Clay Neville, 90, passed away Sunday, September 10, 2023, in Libertyville. Born November 16, 1932, in Ridgway, IL, he was raised in Champaign-Urbana where he graduated from University Laboratory High School. At the University of Illinois, he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and received a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Urban Planning, the latter after serving in the US Army during the Korean War period. He married Jane Adams Roos in 1955. Don worked as an administrator at the University of Illinois in Urbana and in Chicago, and he and Jane raised their children in Champaign and later Evanston. Following Evanston, they lived for many years in Antioch, and relocated to Grayslake for the past decade. Prior to retirement, Don and Jane owned and operated the Neville-Sargent Gallery for many years, where they specialized first in contemporary art, and later antique prints and antiques. Don sat on the board of the College of Lake County, was a member of the Appraisers Association of America and also the Rotary Club of Champaign. As a city planner, a key achievement was securing the property on which the Krannert Center was eventually developed. As a gallery owner, he enjoyed mentoring and cultivating new artists and seeing them flourish. He loved trees and animals and his hobbies were wide-ranging. He enjoyed cooking, gardening, boating, and traveling the world with his family. In recent years, Don enjoyed baking, reading, birdwatching, and watching tennis as well as Illini and Chicago Bears games. He will be missed by all his family, friends, colleagues and many acquaintances. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jane Adams Roos Neville; two children, Abigail (Andres Sousa) Neville, John (Paula Metzger) Neville; by his four grandchildren, Kelsey, Fletcher, Andrea, and Andres; and two great-grandchildren, Mia Camila and Marcello. He was preceded in death by his four siblings, Harriet, Howard, Charlotte, and Virginia. A memorial service will be planned later. You may plant a tree in his name or donate to a memorial of your choice. For information, call (847) 362-3009. You may leave a memory for the family at www.burnettdane.com.

Donald Clay Neville

November 16, 1932 - September 10, 2023