Lesli Jo Neal

Lesli Barkdull Neal, age 54, resident of Shelby died peacefully Tuesday, July 21, 2015 at Hospice House in Ashland surrounded by family.

Born January 15, 1961 in Shelby, she was the daughter of Richard and Bette (Strolein) Barkdull. A 1979 graduate of Shelby Sr. High School, she received her associates degree from Columbus Technical Institute and was employed as a registered optomteric technician with Dr. Edwin Windbigler until 1985. In September of 1985 she came to work with the family business and received her funeral directors license in 1987. Upon her father's retirement in 1994, she became a fifth-generation co-owner of the Barkdull Funeral Home.

Lesli was passionate about caring for others and being a funeral director came naturally. She cared for her families as if they were her own and took great pride knowing her daughter, Carli, would continue the family business as the sixth-generation of the Barkdull bloodline to join the business. Her smile was warming and her laugh contagious. She will be missed by all that knew her, met her, or were helped by her at the funeral home.

A member of the First Lutheran Church, she truly enjoyed sharing her musical talents playing with the church bell choir and playing her flute. She also was a member of the Ohio and National Funeral Directors Associations and sat on the Board of Directors at The Shelby Foundation.
In 2003, she married her soul mate, Bill Neal, and together they shared a mutual appreciation for their love of music, laughter and travel. A nature enthusiast, she loved seeing animals in their natural habitats. Swimming with the stingrays in the Cayman Islands and snorkeling in the British Virgin Islands where highlights on her bucket list. She was an accomplished snow skier that enjoyed teaching her children to ski and cherished the memories of their family ski trips in New York and Colorado.

Even though her life was cut short by ovarian cancer, Lesli continued to live life to the fullest and encouraged others to do so daily. "It's not how you weather the storm...it's how you dance in the rain". Her example of optimism and grace in the face of cancer was an inspiration to all that knew her.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her two children whom she cherished, Dane (fiancé Anne Marie Leanza) Fichter of Cascade, Colorado and Carli Fichter of Shelby; three step-children, Clay (Ericka) Neal, Austin (fiancé Gretchen Riley) Neal and Shelby (fiancé Nate Lydy) Neal; her mother, Bette Barkdull of Shelby, her siblings, Eric (Sharon) Barkdull of Shelby, Kurt (Laura) Barkdull of Vermilion and Colbi (Roy) Reese of Howard; nieces, nephews, cousins, her dog, Petey and many caring friends.

She was preceded in death by her father.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM Saturday, July 25, 2015 from the First Lutheran Church. Reverend Russel Yoak will officiate with interment in Oakland Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home Friday from 1:00 to 7:00 PM. The family is concerned about the number of flowers that might be received and respectfully requests that memorial expressions be made in the form of a donation to The Shelby Foundation. Monies received will be used to help fund an amphitheater in the Black Fork Commons park in downtown Shelby that will be dedicated to Lesli and her father.

 Service Information