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OBITUARY
Kristopher Paul McNeely, 33, of Jonesboro, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House after a 2-year fight with glioblastoma.Kris was a 2003 graduate of Gosnell High School. He earned a BA degree from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville in 2007 and a nursing degree from Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville in 2012.Kris began work as an RN at St. Bernard’s Medical Center Intensive... see moreKristopher Paul McNeely, 33, of Jonesboro, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 25, 2019, at the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House after a 2-year fight with glioblastoma.
Kris was a 2003 graduate of Gosnell High School. He earned a BA degree from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville in 2007 and a nursing degree from Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville in 2012.
Kris began work as an RN at St. Bernard’s Medical Center Intensive Care Unit in 2012. He was known for being a phenomenal nurse while keeping his co-workers laughing.
Kris enjoyed spending time with his wife and son, running, trivia, and while in college, was a member of the University of Arkansas Quiz Bowl Team. He was an avid reader of history and the classics and was excited to be able to check out books at the Fayetteville library for an extended period of time because his reading selections were not in demand. Kris was known by his friends and co-workers for his hilarious stories, jokes, useless knowledge, and he will be missed by those who know him.
Survivors include his wife, Desiree Cunningham McNeely of the home, married November 30, 2013; his son, Felix McNeely of the home; his parents: Jerry and Carolyn Gibson McNeely of Jonesboro; his sister and brother-in-law: Amanda and Brad Vestal of Bentonville; his maternal grandmother, Lela Evelyn Gibson of Jonesboro; his father-in-law and mother-in-law: Keith and Jamie Cunningham of Success; his sister-in-law, Alyssa Cunningham of Jonesboro; and two nieces: Neely Vestal and Lela Vestal, both of Bentonville; and his three cats: Zorba, Thomas, and Lolly
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday in Emerson Memorial Chapel with Rev. Don Blackmore officiating. Visitation will be begin at 1:30 p.m. followed by services at 3:00 p.m. in Emerson Chapel. There will be no burial following the memorial service. At Kris's request, his body will be given for further education in the field of medical science.
For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to: The Felix McNeely Higher Education Fund established at First National Bank of Jonesboro and Paragould and active at any FNB location; The Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House, 300 East St., Jonesboro, AR 72401; or The American Brain Tumor Association, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave, Ste. 550, Chicago, IL 60631, www.abta.org.
Felix,
I worked with your dad in the ICU at St. Bernards. I remember walking up to our assignment board one day while this guy was showing blurry pictures on a flip phone of his cats while wearing a Dolphins toboggan with a poof on top(way before you... moreFelix,
I worked with your dad in the ICU at St. Bernards. I remember walking up to our assignment board one day while this guy was showing blurry pictures on a flip phone of his cats while wearing a Dolphins toboggan with a poof on top(way before you were born or I'm sure it would have been pics of you:)). I remember thinking who in the world have they hired now? Lol. Little did I know the guy would be an amazing nurse, coworker, and friend! Your dad could put a smile on anyones face by cracking a joke or telling an odd fact and lighten the mood of almost any situation.
On a very stressful, important day at the hospital, your dad was chosen to be interviewed! I got butterflies from nerves and told him he better not crack a joke because this interview was so very important!!! He did so well and he didn't share any silly jokes or odd facts! Although later questioned me about how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
Your dad had so many amazing qualities that I admired! He didn't feel the need to be like anyone else and wasn't afraid to be himself! I hope you have this quality and are always yourself! Your dad left an amazing legacy that you should always be proud of!
I have to add please always remeber how blessed you are to have such a strong mother. When your dad got sick, is when I had the opportunity to meet her. She was and IS so amazing! She was by his side every step of the way and continued to be the best mom! You were blessed with 2 amazing parents! less
Hi sweet Felix! I write these memories about your dad on your 2nd birthday. May you read through the memory book your mom made for you and know how much your dad meant to so many.
As a kid, I always thought of Kris as one of my cousins that was so much... moreHi sweet Felix! I write these memories about your dad on your 2nd birthday. May you read through the memory book your mom made for you and know how much your dad meant to so many.
As a kid, I always thought of Kris as one of my cousins that was so much older than me. However now that I am older, the age gap doesn’t seem quite as big as it did when I was 10 and he was 16. I always thought of him as being so smart and relatively quiet as compared to some at all of our family get togethers. I don’t know why some memories stick out more than others, but I particularly remember him taking a nap in our grandma’s blue recliner one day after a holiday meal. He was stretched out so long! I have no idea why I remember this! I also remember how he was always switching what he was going to do as a career. I guess these are things I later learn you get bombarded with at family events (haha) There is no doubt be a ended up in the right career as a nurse. Another memory I have is going to Barnes and Noble one night and seeing Kris. I had ordered a drink from Starbucks and he yelled something to me. I didn’t even recognize him because he had so much facial hair! I remember he scared me so bad. This was the first time I even knew he had a girlfriend. That girlfriend turned out to be your awesome mom. I remember they were sitting at a table for two. I remember thinking she was beautiful! I think I went home and told everyone how surprised I was Kris had a girlfriend! (Not because I didn’t think he could get one, but I really was surprised just because I don’t remember him ever bringing girls to our holiday events!)
Another thing that almost goes without saying is, I think your dad loves to say random, off the wall, things. I was babysitting Neely and Lela while your Amanda was out of town. They came to stay at your grandparents house. I was in college so I must have been 21 or 22. Kris came in from work and he had his scrubs on. He was picking up some of his mail I think. He was making small talk and then randomly asked if I had ever been drunk (hahaha) so random! I will never forget him asking that and me thinking “what in the world?!” I knew he was just trying to mess with me, and his goal was accomplished.
Felix, I know Kris carries on through you. I can’t wait to hear stories about you that others see Kris in. You are so loved. Your momma is amazing. We are so thankful she is our family. Happy Birthday sweet boy.
I hadn't kept up very well with Kris over the years since I moved away from Fayetteville but he reached out in late 2017 and said he and Dez were planning to come out to Colorado for a vacation and I was so excited that he wanted to meet up. Kris and... moreI hadn't kept up very well with Kris over the years since I moved away from Fayetteville but he reached out in late 2017 and said he and Dez were planning to come out to Colorado for a vacation and I was so excited that he wanted to meet up. Kris and Dez are a lot like my wife and I and we all got along so well and had a great weekend, catching a Nuggets game and an Avalanche game, and they also took a trip to the mountains to see what Colorado is all about. It was amazing how we fell right back into our college personalities, making quips and using wordplay in every sentence.
Today is Felix's second birthday and as you grow up Felix I hope you can feel the love that everyone had for your dad. How he was a unique person who had an incredible memory, not just for the classics and for quiz bowl knowledge, but also for his friends and family. Once you were a friend of Kris's, you were a friend for life. less
When I think about Kris, what comes most immediately to mind are his unique qualities and fascinations. Kris was incredibly gifted and so passionate about his many interests including old music, unique movies, and of course the classics. When I first met... moreWhen I think about Kris, what comes most immediately to mind are his unique qualities and fascinations. Kris was incredibly gifted and so passionate about his many interests including old music, unique movies, and of course the classics. When I first met Kris, he was so deeply passionate about Greek history that I will always associate so much of it with him. In particular, I remember Kris detailing one of his favorite moments from the battle of Thermopylae, where Greek forces, significantly outnumbered by Persian opposition, defended a narrow pass. When the Persians threatened to barrage the Greeks with countless arrows, the Greeks responded: ‘We will fight in the shade’. Kris loved that line. Another curios obsession I recall is how deeply Kris was gripped by Snake in his early college days. As others were getting newer and newer phones, I remember Kris holding onto his aging phone primarily because Snake was simply better on it, according to him. Little things like that always stuck with me.
I will miss Kris and am saddened by his passing. I will miss the time shared with him. His capacity to reach out and engage anyone in any setting was perhaps his greatest quality. There were no strangers to Kris, only those he had not said hello to yet.
Attached are a pair of pictures from fall of 2015, the beginning (2003) and end of undergrad (2008). less
One of my favorite Kris stories is from when he was around 12-13 and was in the youth group at First Baptist Church in Blytheville. One Saturday, the group took a trip, I believe to the mall in Memphis, and the kids were given strict orders to be back on... moreOne of my favorite Kris stories is from when he was around 12-13 and was in the youth group at First Baptist Church in Blytheville. One Saturday, the group took a trip, I believe to the mall in Memphis, and the kids were given strict orders to be back on the bus at a specific time. Kris was late. But—unlike almost every kid who has ever been late meeting a bus—Kris was late because he was *reading a book* and had become so engrossed in the book, he lost track of time. 😍. I remember laughing about this with his Mom. Really, how mad can you get at a kid who loves to read that much? less
My memory of Kris comes straight from the trenches of ICU when I was struggling to take care of an especially sick patient. He was a young brilliant nurse who knew how very sick my patient was and how I waith anmy list of doctors ordershekoed through... moreMy memory of Kris comes straight from the trenches of ICU when I was struggling to take care of an especially sick patient. He was a young brilliant nurse who knew how very sick my patient was and how I waith anmy list of doctors ordershekoed through the shift with patience and a very sweet sense of humor.
Every time he looked up I was asking him questions about how to put a new order in the new computer system.
He would try to explain the process but finally realized I was an old nurse who was not proficient ast the new computer system. Kris saved me that day and he surely helped me manage a very sick patient for an 8 hour shift.
He was so kind to me... so respectful. I will
Never forget him He was an incredibly talented young man and this world is sad without him. May God bless you ina special way today Desiree knowing that lo to do lifecwith. less
The first time I met Kris, he asked me if I wanted to wrestle. I was in high school, and I was visiting my brother in college for the first time. I met a lot of his new friends that weekend. On the drive home, Kris is the only one whose face and name I... moreThe first time I met Kris, he asked me if I wanted to wrestle. I was in high school, and I was visiting my brother in college for the first time. I met a lot of his new friends that weekend. On the drive home, Kris is the only one whose face and name I could remember. Pinning me in about 5 seconds makes an impression like that. As the years went on, and I had more occasions to see Kris, I learned that kind of gregariousness, that openness, was not the exception, but the rule. Kris would have wrestled everyone he met if they wanted to. Or given them a book he loved (he didn't believe in loaning them), or shared a revealing joke (that likely only he would have laughed at). He was one of the least guarded people I ever met. It's a quality I admired in him intensely. He was my brother's best friend, and he never made me feel like I was just tagging along. I want to think of Kris anytime I meet someone new. I want to be generous, as he was, with the lightness and goodness that he shared with me. less
This guy right here in the back .... I smiled just seeing his name in the same unit as me no matter how difficult the day I knew I had a helping hand and someone to make me laugh !! He always always made everyone smile Every. Single. Day ! Weather he was... moreThis guy right here in the back .... I smiled just seeing his name in the same unit as me no matter how difficult the day I knew I had a helping hand and someone to make me laugh !! He always always made everyone smile Every. Single. Day ! Weather he was showing you his three cats on his super cool flip phone or filling you with useless trivia ( side-note: Did you know that the species with the highest blood pressure is a giraffe 🦒) sometimes I would secretly google all the things he said bc they where so random and far out there you almost couldn’t believe them ... Because WHO KNOWS SO MUCH STUFF( ... and sometimes he was just pulling your leg 😉)! 👇🏻👇🏻 this guy ! I pray his little boy has even half his attitude and brains bc he will go far in life ! He will be greatly missed in the ICU ! Prayers for his wife and little boy and all others as they suffer a great loss ! Prayers for peace and comfort for them ! Kris fought a long hard battle with brain cancer that one day we all pray we can find a cure for ! less
This guy right here in the back .... I smiled just seeing his name in the same unit as me no matter how difficult the day I knew I had a helping hand and someone to make me laugh !! He always always made everyone smile Every. Single. Day ! Weather he was... moreThis guy right here in the back .... I smiled just seeing his name in the same unit as me no matter how difficult the day I knew I had a helping hand and someone to make me laugh !! He always always made everyone smile Every. Single. Day ! Weather he was showing you his three cats on his super cool flip phone or filling you with useless trivia ( side-note: Did you know that the species with the highest blood pressure is a giraffe ????) sometimes I would secretly google all the things he said bc they where so random and far out there you almost couldn’t believe them ... Because WHO KNOWS SO MUCH STUFF( ... and sometimes he was just pulling your leg ????)! ???????????????? this guy ! I pray his little boy has even half his attitude and brains bc he will go far in life ! He will be greatly missed in the ICU ! Prayers for his wife and little boy and all others as they suffer a great loss ! Prayers for peace and comfort for them ! Kris fought a long hard battle with brain cancer that one day we all pray... less
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