Major General Neil Edison Allgood, Retired

Major General Neil Edison Allgood, Retired, was born on June 12, 1924 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He took his last breath here on earth on July 19, 2019 in Merced, California. The circumstances of Neil’s upbringing were modest. He lived a simple life with his mother and two younger brothers, Marvin and Bascome. Neil was a man of compassion, and his desire was to become a doctor; however, financial resources were limited. Having a sense of gratitude for the country in which he lived, Neil chose to serve his nation by joining the United States Army in 1943. He initially reported when drafted but was told he was “too skinny” and was sent home to “eat bananas and drink lots of water”. After following those orders to the letter, he attempted to enlist but was again initially denied the opportunity to serve. He used his persistence and determination to wear down the Army physician who on March 3, 1943 in utter frustration stamped the word APPROVED over the entire face of Neil’s application. Neil served his country for forty-one years, rising to the rank of Major General upon his retirement. He was awarded numerous commendations and decorations. On July 5, 1984, he was presented with the Distinguished Service Medal. After his retirement from the United States Army, Neil began his own consulting business. His expertise in emergency management gave him the skills to develop disaster preparedness plans for organizations and communities throughout the United States as well as Australia and New Zealand. Neil served for several decades on the board of the Long Beach chapter of the American Red Cross. In 2002, he received the Harriman Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service.

Neil married Lucy Eulaine Akridge when a young serviceman. They had one daughter, Patricia Ann. Patricia, her husband Dennis (Wood), as well as their three children Jessica Laine, Logan James, and Jacob Neil and their families were fortunate to benefit from Neil’s love, thoughtfulness, and wise counsel. During the last few years of his life, Neil had the joy of extending his care to his two young great grandchildren, Avery Kate and Adam Neil Davison. Following Eulaine’s death in 1982, Neil married Elizabeth Patricia Asher. With this marriage, Neil’s family expanded as Elizabeth had three grown daughters, Rebecca, Wendy, and Vicki. He extended his provision and protection to Elizabeth, her daughters, and their families. Neil was a man of faith, integrity, and commitment. We miss him already.

Our family would like to thank the staff of Ami Marchini Home Health and Bristol Hospice who provided support for all of us in Neil’s last days.