Date of Death: January 27, 2025
Service Details
Visitation will be held Monday, February 3, 2025 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Hohner Funeral Home, 1004 Arnold St., Three Rivers. Services will be held Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at Bethany Chapel, 15130 Millard Rd., Three Rivers, with Pastor Timothy Moore officiating. A luncheon will follow. He will be laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery.

Obituary Notice
Richard “Dick” Charles Neely, age 92, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, January 27, 2025. He passed peacefully at home.
Dick was born on May 17, 1932, in New Tazewell, Tennessee, the son of Charles and Ella (Estes) Neely. Three years later the family moved to Monroe, Michigan, and later to Three Rivers, where he spent the rest of his life.
After graduating from Three Rivers High School in 1951, he served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War. Time was spent in both Korea and Japan.
On August 16, 1958, he married Delores Johannes. It was a most happy marriage of 67 years which included so many happy times with family and friends.
Dick was employed at Dayco, Three Rivers Rubber Company, and Kysor Metal Products of White Pigeon in Quality Control supervision.
Dick was a past member of Three Rivers Bible Church and a member of Bethany Chapel. For many years he served the Lord as Adult Sunday School teacher, deacon, and member of the board. He was also involved in the Centreville Jail Ministry.
An avid chess player since youth, Dick participated in numerous chess tournaments both state and national. In recent years he has been playing in tournaments on the Internet.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Frances; and brother, Eldon Dale.
Remaining to cherish his memory are his wife, Delores Neely; brother-in-law, Robert Johannes (Patty); sisters-in-law, Linda Gooding and Evelyn Wertz; several nieces and nephews; several great-nieces and nephews.
Additional Information
Memorials may be directed to Bethany Chapel or Three Rivers Health Hospice. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home and at the church.
Please Leave Your Condolences
When your condolences are submitted they will not display until approved by the Hohner staff for appropriateness out of respect for their memory. They should appear within 24 hours or less. Thank you for your understanding.
So sorry for your loss
Blair and Marie Dolph
I am sorry for your loss. I knew him through our attendance at Bethany Chapel with my wife Cora for many years. They were always so kind to our children and our grandson James. I was at their house in December having coffee with Dee while Dick was watching football on TV; we talked briefly. Dee sent home Christmas treats for James and I; she is a fabulous cook.
I was their paper boy in the early 1980’s, and we had a chess game going on the porch, 1 move each day after I delivered the paper. I had no idea he was such a chess master. They always tipped me well too! What a lovely man.
For a man and a chess master that he was. I never ever met the man in person, but have known him for 20 years, playing Chess with him, for a tremendous amounts of games on the internet, through good and bad, through thick and thin, come hell or high water, and until death done him away to the angels in heaven. He went by the username of “Bishop Richard” and in later years, I myself called him “Mister Bojangles” Lol., always got a Laugh out of that. Its too bad never and yet he Dick himself as to say we both never met in person throughout all of those 20 years, but Dick was a great man.
Always amazed me with such chess moves and was the 1st to tell me about Bobby Fisher a brilliant chess player, but never knew anything about him, until Dick himself told me about him.
Dick really was a very high knowledgeable analyst of college football too. There as well I’m sure going to miss him too.
Dick I will miss u my friend R.I.P.
Although I never met Dick, face to face, we have been close friends for nearly 3 years and meet on our favorite chess it: “Its Your Turn”. He was a very good chess player and from our online discussions, he was a wonderful, caring person. We talked almost daily about our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, of which he had a very good understanding. I know that he will be missed by many people in and around Three Rivers and I shall miss our chess matches. Now, I wish I could have met him in person as he had a lot of wisdom.
So sorry for your loss. I remember your family from the Three Rivers Bible Church of many years. Thoughts and prayers to the family. Tim & Cynthia Hassenger, Tecumseh, Kansas.
So sorry for your loss. Mr. Neely was a faithful servant of our heavenly Father. The Neely’s made a huge impact on my life, and I will forever be grateful for their ministry at Bethany Chapel. He is now in the arms of Jesus hearing the words: “Well done good and faithful servant.”