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Joe and Dee Neigh saw four children through Fort Hunt, Gwen ('70), Joe ('71), Roger ('75) and Carol ('77). But long after all of his kids had graduated, Mr. Neigh continued to announce the football games at Fort Hunt. His voice was warm, rich, kindly, and perfect for the microphone. He sounded like everyone’s Dad. He was the “Voice of Fort Hunt.”
Mr. Neigh had the forethought to record the school’s marching band playing the “Fort Hunt Fight Song,” so that on the rare occasion when they were unable to be present for a home football game, Mr. Neigh could play the tape from the press box each time that the Mighty Feds scored a touchdown. and we could stand up and sing along. The song added an extra dimension of celebration to the games. Joe Neigh was one of the school’s biggest fans. When he talked about the band in recent years, his tone was reverent, “It was a great band.” He was one of the many, loyal, invisible, parent volunteers backstage at Fort Hunt, contributing to an enviable high school experience for thousands of students. Mr. Neigh was prone to achingly bad puns. He punctuated trips in the car with gems like, “What’s that in the road? A head?” (ahead.) His assessment of the modern architecture of Aldersgate was that it looked like “an upside-down Noah's Ark with a pickle stuck in it.” Mr. Neigh died peacefully, in his sleep, sometime in the night on Friday, December 14th. Mrs. Neigh and their kids will honor Joe with a funeral at Aldersgate, United Methodist Church, at Collingwood Road and Fort Hunt Road, on Wednesday, December 19th at 11:00 a.m. He will be buried at Mount Comfort Memorial Park on Kings Highway. The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, December 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Jefferson Funeral Chapel in Kingstowne (5755 Castewellan Drive, Alexandria, VA, 22315). Condolences may be mailed to the family home at 8224 Crown Court Road, Alexandria, VA 22308.
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