Obituary of Nell McMahan Neal

Nell McMahan Neal, 93, died Wednesday, January 1, 2020.Born February 12, 1926, in Belton, she was the daughter of John Whitfield White and Nanny Mae Compton White.Nell was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Jack T. McMahan and Dr. Durwood E. Neal; her son Dr. Jack B. McMahan; and her 7 siblings.She is survived by her daughter Jan Renfro and husband, Tom, of Fort Worth; two granddaughters, Dawn McMahan and Leah Scardino of Austin; great-granddaughter Madison Scardino of Colorado; daughter-in-law Jenny Davis and husband Skeeter of Groesbeck; step-son, Dr. Durwood Neal and wife Katy of Georgia and step-grandson Caleb Neal of New York.Nell, also known fondly as Mom, Sister, Daughter, and Nana was the glue that held our family together. She was the foundation we turned to for strength when our worlds were shaky, and it was her embrace and smile that brightened our darkest days. She possessed an amazing balance of strength, determination, and candor while maintaining incredible warmth and compassion.Her drive to care for others was not limited to those of us she called family. At the age of 40, Nell turned down an offer of promotion from the bank where she worked to return to school and pursue her lifelong dream, a nursing degree. After graduation, she worked as a nurse at All Saints Hospital in Fort Worth Texas for several years before taking a position as a nurse in the office of Dr. Durwood Neal.Many of us who have survived her have never known a world without her. There was not a room Nell walked into that she didn’t leave without new friends. For that reason it would be impossible to name all of the people she touched with her warmth and wit and the family is grateful to all her friends who have loved and cared for her.