The son of a railroad worker, Neal Kissel found himself following in his dad’s footsteps in his young adult years. He spent time working on the railroad before joining the Air Force, where he was stationed in California. After his time in the service, Neal ended up back on the railroad in Ashtabula, Ohio, but he knew he wanted to go back to California. So, Neal packed up his life and moved across the country. At 22 Neal became a Mason and the Fraternity has had a profound impact on his life. Thanks to a Brother he met at a Lodge meeting, he got a job working for Southern California Edison company where he spent his career working his way up the ladder in the steam generation department.
In his mid-70s, Neal began to think about what would happen if he ever needed help. Both of his adult children and their families lived near Cleveland, thousands of miles from his home in California. He had friends in California, but he knew he didn’t want to be a burden to them so he started looking into options. He considered Masonic Homes of California, but didn’t meet the requirements of being a California Mason. Thankfully, having been raised in a Lodge in Ashtabula, Neal had always been aware of Springfield Masonic Community and decided to look into it.
Now 87, Neal has lived in his villa home at Springfield Masonic Community for 12 years. Neal shares, “I enjoy the companionship of the other residents here, but I’m also happy to spend time alone.” Every night, Neal has dinner with a group of four other guys and enjoys talking with them while they eat.
Now, Neal is looking to the future. It’s important to him that he leaves a lasting impact on the world, and is working on making his mark. For Neal, his legacy will be his charity. He has planned a series of donations to The Ohio Masonic Communities Foundation to support the work of Springfield Masonic Community. Neal shares, “I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve never made more than I could spend, but I always had more than I needed. Now I have an obligation, especially as a Mason, to share what I’ve been given.”
