Montague, MA – On June 28, 2026, Neal Smith reached the end of his time on this earth. He spent his last morning doing what he loved – making a pancake breakfast for his wife Louise and working in his garden – and those final hours could stand as an illustration of his quiet legacy. Though no longer a practicing Catholic, Neal held throughout his life a deep desire to be Good in all of his endeavors. A deeply loving, deeply loyal man, he spent his life in service: to his community through his years in the priesthood, to the land he tended, cultivating antique variety apples on Greenwood Farm in Northfield, to his wife, and to his children, to whom he offered unwavering support through all their challenges and transitions. It is difficult to sum up the adventures and accomplishments of nearly a century, and indeed it feels as though Neal lived several lifetimes, from his early years in Long Island where he was born on the 18th of November 1934 in the aftermath of the Great Depression to his childhood in Springfield and East Longmeadow, where he spent the war years catching frogs in the creek behind his house and playing sandlot baseball in the South end of the city. His faith and his desire for an education led him to the seminary, and he studied at Holy Cross before being ordained and spending over a decade in the priesthood. During this time he mentored countless youth, introducing them to the outdoors on hiking expeditions that at times became harrowing – he spent one memorable trip with a group of teenagers huddled overnight in the shelter of a boulder to survive a raging blizzard that overtook them on Mount Madison. Neal was a peaceloving man but was not afraid to court controversy if it meant defending his values. One newspaper article called him "the swinging priest" in reference to his willingness to advocate for the rights of women and children within the church. After his desire to build a family led him to leave the priesthood, he continued his commitment to helping the marginalized by rehabilitating an old farmhouse and applying for state funding to create a program to support court-involved youth, offering them family-style housing and skill-building, on one occasion leading an ambitious bicycle journey from Western Massachusetts down to Baltimore. Neal met his future wife Louise when she rented a room in that same farmhouse, and in 2025, they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. When the two married, he turned his attention to farming, and from a wedding gift of several apple trees, grew an orchard of antique variety apples. An old-fashioned barn-raising commenced, and soon he was making cider on a hundred-year-old press. Through his careful cultivation of the land, Neal became the tender of the family home and in many ways, its center. In addition to the ever-abundant apples, he grew a garden that fed the household through the summer months, and made family-style meals for his own children as well as the boarders who lived at the house in those early years. Neal was endlessly resourceful: he could fix most household problems with a bit of wire and a roll of duct tape. He had a respect for the wild places of the world and gave his children the gift of hikes to the top of Mt. Kathadin, camping trips in the White Mountains, and cross country ski treks sometimes reluctantly undertaken. Neal spent every night during baseball season giving the Red Sox emphatic advice through the TV, advice that they sadly often failed to take. He was a man of many particular quirks. All of the dogs he owned in his lifetime were named Kep. Neal was a man who showed respect and care to everyone he met, a true humanist with an open mind and a generous heart. He spent the last decade of his life tending to his garden, caring for his sister-in-law Georgia as her health needs increased, and spending time with his grandchildren Linden and Anja, teaching Linden how to spread mulch and mow the lawn. He died at peace with his family gathered around him. He is survived by his wife Louise, his children Adrien Smith and Hunter Swanson, his daughter-in-law Kathryn Swanson, whom he saw as his own child, his son-in-law Ivan Alentsev, and his grandchildren Linden and Anja. He leaves behind many who will miss his gentle presence and his attentive care. At Neal's request, there will be a private celebration of his life at his home in Montague.
Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave., is assisting the family with arrangements.
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