Former Van Buren Superintendent, Principal To Be Laid To Rest

Longtime Van Buren County educator Neal Wayne O’Neal will be laid to rest Friday.

He passed away at the age of 78-years-old. Director of Schools Cheryl Cole said O’Neal was a teacher, high school principal and served 10 years as superintendent.

“I graduated in 1983 and Mr. O’Neal was one of my teachers that I had in high school,” Cole said. “He taught American History and Economics, and then he became principal, and whenever I was hired in the 91-92 school year he was my principal.”

Cole said O’Neal was a strict teacher, but his high expectations brought the best out of students.

“You knew he cared about you,’ Cole said. “He would ask about things going on with you and kept up with things. He attended sporting events and kept up personally to get you motivated to do things.”

O’Neal was elected as superintendent in 1996. O’Neal was also the principal when the Van Buren County High School burnt down in 1988, Cole said.

“The school had to relocate to Camp Clements, and so, he would ride his golf kart up and down the hills to check with everybody,” Cole said

A scholarship fund was created in the name of O’Neal’s wife Mary in the past. Cole said a similar thing may be done for O’Neal.