Rodney Arthur McNeil passed away peacefully on August 11, 2026, at his home in Syracuse, NY. Rodney lived a life full of family, music, friendship, competition, adventure, and laughter. He had a quick wit, a mischievous sense of humor, a love of being active, and a remarkable ability to make just about anyone feel like a friend. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Rodney was born in Rochester, NY, on April 23, 1946, to Reginald and Winifred McNeil and grew up alongside his brother, Wayne. From an early age, Rodney had the quick wit, curiosity, energy, and mischievous streak that would stay with him throughout his life. He was an active kid, but he was also a clever one and sometimes those two qualities got him into just enough trouble to make a good story.

As a young boy, Rodney was once reprimanded by his teacher for having food in his desk. But Rodney apparently could not be separated from a snack that easily. He carefully peeled an orange in one single piece, leaving the peel looking remarkably like a whole orange. When the teacher demanded that he hand over the forbidden "orange," Rodney placed the empty peel on her desk and quietly ate the actual orange. It was classic Rodney.

He attended Charlotte High School in Rochester, where his competitive side also began to shine. Rodney and his brother Wayne raced cars, and in one particularly memorable race, the two somehow finished with the exact same time, right down to the millisecond. A fitting story for two brothers who shared a love of competition and adventure.

Rodney graduated from the University at Buffalo and went on to earn his master's degree from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. He became an Urban Planner in Greece, NY, beginning a career devoted to communities, land, and the places where people live.

Rodney was a lover of travels. He learned Spanish from his Hispanic graduate school roommates which served him well when he traveled across Europe from Norway to Venice and everywhere in between in the early 1970’s. Later he visited his roommate in Columbia and was almost run out of town by shouting for the opposition at a political rally.

Along the way, he became a father and provider to his family. In the early 1980s, the family moved to Dexter, NY. Rodney went to work for the St. Lawrence-Eastern Ontario Commission in Watertown, NY, where he built a career while building a life centered around his family.

He was, in every sense, the epitome of a provider. Rodney worked hard, but made plenty of time to get involved in his kids' sports. He taught his kids how to throw a ball, played catch with them, kicked soccer balls around, and encouraged them to get outside and be active. He was always working on something around the family's enormous Victorian home in Dexter, fixing, improving, and taking care of the place his family called home alongside many fond neighbors.

Music filled the McNeil home. Rodney was a remarkably skilled piano player who could move effortlessly between ragtime and the classics. He didn't just play for himself; he taught his children to play and, more importantly, taught them to appreciate and love music. The sound of Rodney at the piano became part of the soundtrack of their family life. That music followed him

throughout his life. Even in his later years at Brookdale, Rodney continued to play, entertaining fellow residents and bringing people together around the piano. It was one of the many gifts he never stopped sharing.

Rodney's adventurous and competitive spirit extended well beyond the family home. He raced canoes with his longtime friend, John Green, including the demanding 90-Miler and other canoe races, and he enjoyed the challenge and camaraderie that came with them. He also played tennis and golf, winning several tournaments in the 2000s, and he recorded two holes-in-one. Rodney's

competitive spirit extended to his sports teams as well. He was a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, sticking with them through the good years, the bad years, and everything in between. A true fan to the end.

He spent many summers enjoying camping and fishing at Wellesley Island on the St. Lawrence River. He loved his hunting trips during the winters in Northern New York, with his hunting buddies, where his sense of humor was always as much a part of the trip as the hunting itself. On one memorable outing, the group came home with both a buck and a bobcat. True to Rodney's

mischievous nature, he put the buck's rack on the bobcat, creating an absolutely ridiculous and unforgettable trophy that perfectly captured the kind of humor he brought everywhere he went.

When his position at the St. Lawrence-Eastern Ontario Commission was eliminated, Rodney's career took him to Albany, NY, where he went on to run the New York State Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources and Waterfront Revitalization. His work included the South Shore Estuary in Long Island and culminated in a major report focused on the future and restoration of the estuary and its shoreline.

But no matter where his career took him, Rodney's greatest work was always his family. He was a dad who taught by doing, who worked hard without making a show of it, and who filled his home with music, laughter, activity, and the occasional bit of harmless mischief. He was also a man who could make a friend almost anywhere. That ability to talk to anyone (often in Spanish) made people feel comfortable, and bring a little joy into an ordinary moment would remain one of Rodney's most enduring qualities throughout his life.

In 2001, Rodney met Patricia, the woman who would become his lifelong partner and the love of his life. They were wonderfully well matched and always ready for an adventure. Together, they built a life that was full of travel, friendship, laughter, and new experiences. They relocated to Florida in 2009, where they embraced retirement together and made the most of every opportunity that came their way. They cruised to South America, the Caribbean, the

Mediterranean, New Zealand and Australia, traveled by RV and explored new places like the Florida State Parks, and collected friends wherever they went.

Rodney was immensely proud of his Scottish heritage, and one of the special trips he and Patricia shared was to the Isle of Barra in Scotland for a McNeil clan reunion. Surrounded by family history and members of the McNeil clan, Rodney was able to experience a part of his heritage that meant a great deal to him. And, true to Rodney, a wee dram was never far from the celebration. Wherever they went, Rodney had a way of making connections. He was warm, genuinely interested in people, and quick to share a story or a laugh. He brought the same easy friendliness to strangers that he gave to longtime friends, and people remembered him because he made them feel good.

Rodney and Patricia built a life filled with movement, music, friendship, travel, and adventure, but at the center of it all was simply the joy of having each other and their dog, Ozzie.

For his family and friends, Rodney's legacy is in the things he shared so freely: his love of music, his sense of humor, his adventurous spirit, and his ability to make people feel good simply by being around him. He leaves behind a lot of good memories, a lot of good stories, and a lot of people who were simply glad they knew him.

Rodney is survived by his lifelong partner and love, Patricia D. Perry of Syracuse, NY, his children, Christopher M. Barrows (Karin) of Centennial, CO Brenton L. McNeil (Kristen) of Penfield, NY, Meredith L. Austin (Bud) of Valatie, NY Shanna N. McNeil (Chris) of Latham, NY with former wife and friend, Julie Sagendorph, and stepchildren, Linda Demma (Andrew) of

Cooperstown, NY and Dwight Perry (Alexandra) of Skaneateles, NY.

He was a proud grandfather to Marley, Emerson, Everett, Ethan, Genevieve, and Nora.

He is also survived by his brother, Wayne R. McNeil (Nevella) of West Valley, NY, and their daughters, Mychelle and Heather, along with extended family and many dear friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Rodney's honor, where family and friends will gather to share memories, stories, and perhaps a few of the many good laughs he left behind.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Central New York. In keeping with Rodney's lifelong commitment to helping others, friends and family may also consider donating a pint of blood through the American Red Cross in his memory.