She was born Aug. 31, 1927, in Portland, Ore., to Alf and Florence Norsell. She was preceded in death by her husband John Neville, who died in 2007 at age 80 after a career as an executive in the metals industry. The couple retired to Las Vegas in 1996, and forged lasting friendships as members of the TPC Summerlin Country Club. Emily worked as a volunteer for the Assistance League of Las Vegas. She also continued a lifetime passion for travel to destinations ranging from Egypt and Greece to Spain and Belgium.
Emily graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis, where she met her future husband in their home-room class, where the future sweethearts were seated next to each other because students were seated in alphabetical order.
Emily and John were married on Jan. 24, 1946, in Providence, R.I., after John returned from serving in World War II on a minesweeper in the Pacific. They had two children, John Jr. and Paul, and lived in many areas of the country before moving to Las Vegas.
While living in the Chicago area in the 1970s, Emily had a successful career as a real estate agent. She was a gifted artist, who studied at Case Western Reserve University and kept an easel and box crammed with paints and brushes in her closet until the time of her death. She enjoyed playing her grand piano, and liked to accompany friends and family. She had a lifelong commitment to fitness, and at 91 was still doing several pilates sessions a week.
Emily was preceded in death by her husband John, by sisters Margaret Ambrose, Anna Ruth Norsell, Cora Witte and Alma Rodarmel, and by a brother, Howard. She is survived by a brother, Paul Norsell of Grass Valley, Calif., and by sons John of Las Vegas and Paul of Eugene, Ore.; grandchildren Summer of Portland, Ore., Robin of San Francisco and Noah of Los Angeles, and a great-grandchild Ocean Noir Neville-Rafferty of Portland.
The memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 30, at Palm Mortuary and Cemetery, 6701 North Jones Boulevard, in Las Vegas, Nev. A reception will follow at TPC Summerlin. Donations to the Assistance League of Las Vegas are suggested in lieu of flowers.
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