Roll Call Tribute

Sarah "Sally" Erin Boddie Neal
Wednesday, April 15, 1953 - Saturday, May 8, 2021

Sarah (Sally) Erin Boddie Neal, age 68, passed away May 8, 2021 after an admirable year-long fight with an aggressive cancer. She was born April 15, 1953 in Athens, Georgia to Lieutenant Colonel James W. Boddie and Avice Rebecca Boddie (Wells).

A graduate of Troup High School, the University of Georgia, and Texas A&M, Sally married her high school sweetheart, Winston Neal, and lovingly restored the James Ogletree Tigner house (home of her great grandfather) and resided just outside of Greenville, Georgia for over four decades.

A wife, mother, and teacher extraordinaire, Sally was also an accomplished equestrian, marksman, and published author. Spending her early years in Harefield, England as the daughter of an Air Force officer, she was an expert and lover all of things British, Shakespearian, and Victorian. Her passion for expanding the minds of children and young adults was lifelong. A voracious reader who was always on the lookout for the next “Great American Novel,” she worked to instill a love of literature and books into every child she met. During her teaching career, she taught students about Humanities, English/Literature, Spanish, and a host of other subjects. Although the majority of her time as an educator was spent at Flint River Academy, she also taught children and young adults at LaGrange Academy, Troup High School, LaGrange College and Texas A&M. She was a community leader in the betterment of all involved – and much to the chagrin of her own children and many school students, often made them repeat and improve their efforts until the outcomes met her high standards. We all appreciate her for those standards.

Independent and unwavering in every endeavor she ever undertook, her friends and family will never forget her tenacity, wit, charm, and grace. She was an unselfish and devoted friend, supportive of her children in every endeavor academically and athletically. She loved her family and her menagerie of animals. She worked tirelessly to uphold her family’s history and legacy to be passed on to her descendants.

Sally wanted nothing but success and happiness for everyone she ever met, no matter their station in life. She was an inspiring and special woman in so many ways. She always gave back to the best of her abilities to the many causes she cared about.

Sally was a proud Texas Aggie, but also supported every school and higher education institution that her children attended. She will be interred at the family burial plot in Mountville, Georgia wearing her favorite clothing ensemble: an equestrian outfit including riding breeches, riding boots, and a single English spur – as all Texas Aggies know they only need one spur to ride a Texas Longhorn.

Sally is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Brigadier General James W. Boddie, Jr. She is survived and will be sorely missed by her husband, Winston Roy Neal '77, sister Catherine (Boddie) Linz and nephew Nathan Boddie, niece Wendy Boddie, her two sons and their wives Winston Warner and Bridget (Walker) Neal, Battle and Lauren (Browning) Neal, her daughter Katie (Neal) Sinotte and son-in-law Christopher Sinotte; and a bevy of grandchildren that were each her very favorite – Evelyn, Abbott, Sophia, Callie, Walker, as well as baby Eleanor who is due to join the family later this summer.

A visitation with the family will be held at Higgins Funeral Home at Hunter Allen Myhand in LaGrange from 5:00 – 8:00 PM on Friday, May 14th. A service will be held 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 15th at Greenville United Methodist Church, followed by a private burial in the Boddie Family Cemetery at the Nathan Van Boddie house in Mountville.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Flint River Academy Media Center (11556 GA-85, Woodbury, GA 30293) or the Merry Weather Garden Club (1680 Imlac Road, Woodbury, GA 30293).

©Higgins Funeral Home