Douglas Bryant Neece

Life spans will be carved into tombstones for as long as we memorialize those we love and lose, but those dates only tell the “when’, not the “how.” Doug Neece’s “how” is to be found in the dash between the beginning and the end, the journey he walked from start to finish. Follow his steps: son, brother, husband, father, teammate, friend. You will learn his “how” and his “why.” From these most important roles the story is woven.

From January 26, 1971, in Garland, Texas, to Edmond, Oklahoma, Doug grew up with his brothers, learning from his parents everyday what living a godly life looked like. His heart beat with the passion to live that life. He did that; better than most. He lived his beloved verse from Micah, “…And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And so on Friday, Doug, beloved Booty, walked humbly into the waiting arms of his Father.

Left to Doug, no one would ever know that he had been an All State Running Back for the mighty Edmond Memorial Bulldogs, that he went on to Abilene Christian University on a full football scholarship. He left it to other people to brag about him and tout his accomplishments. He knew what he valued most.

That richness of his life began to flourish in January of 1992, when he smarted off and started flirting with an equally skilled, but pretty athlete in the Wildcat training room at ACU. From that beginning, his heart and Kim Bartee’s grew together in God’s grace and purpose until they pledged to Him and to each other, on July 9, 1994, that only death would them part.

So his legacy began, borne now by the quartet that was and is his proudest accomplishment, his deepest joy, their four sons. The legacy is alive in Drew, he of his father’s quiet kindness and servant’s heart; in Dax, where the tenderness of his father’s heart has spark and sparkle, like the twinkle in Doug’s eye; in Brooks, with his Dad’s loving heart, quirky wit and wry grin; and in Bennett, with Doug’s sweetness and orneriness, the exclamation point of his Daddy’s treasure chest. These precious sons will grow to be men their Dad would be proud of, as he is proud of them even now.

In the winter of 2001, the family of 4 – soon to be 6 – moved home to Albany. Doug quietly embraced this precious place and it, joyfully, embraced him. A most meaningful part of that embrace was his membership in the Albany Church of Christ; he gave of himself as a deacon and a youth leader.

Doug lived with the heart of a Bulldog, the heart of a Wildcat and the heart of a Lion. Oh, how he lived with the heart of a Lion! But, above all, he lived with the heart of a child of God – faithful and trusting, steady and true, serving and loving – all the ways his Father called him to live. And live them he did, in such dignity and grace and joy.

He wasn’t perfect, but with thanks to St. Paul, Doug was patient, Doug was kind. He did not envy or boast. He was not rude or self-seeking, not easily angered and didn’t hold grudges. Doug protected, trusted, hoped, and persevered. Doug never failed to live as love lives.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Bartee Neece and their sons, Drew, Dax, Brooks and Bennett, of Albany; his parents, Art and Jane Neece, of Albany, his brother Greg Neece and wife Michelle and family, of Vidor, Texas, his brother Brad Neece of Oklahoma City; his parents-in-law, Larry and Ginger Bartee, of Albany, his brother-in-law Brian Bartee, of Albany and sister-in-law Kelly Bartee Farris and husband Fletcher, of Sanger, Texas. He also leaves many nieces, nephews, and cousins who loved him dearly.

Doug wrote his own remembrance, his own memorial. It is in every kiddo he ever coached, every shoulder he ever squeezed, every prank he ever pulled. It shines from the depths of Kim’s eyes; it radiates from the faces of his sons. He is carved in our hearts so we can remind ourselves what a good man looks like, how a godly life is lived. And that is a testament time cannot diminish, the kind achieved only by those humble enough not to seek it but who cannot live any other way. Like Doug.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at 2:00 at Beltway Park Baptist Church, North Campus, 2850 TX Highway 351, Abilene, TX 79601.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to any of the following organizations:

Angel Flight – South Central
P. O. Box 763760
Dallas, TX 75376

Belize Missions
c/o Elliott St. Church of Christ
1701 W. Elliott
Breckenridge, TX 76424

Albany Ministerial Alliance Christmas Fund
P. O. Box 3084
Albany, TX 76430

Doug Neece Scholarship Fund
First National Bank Albany
P. O. Box 2019
Albany, TX 76430