Catherine Lorraine {Nina} Neel

Catherine Lorraine Neel, 92, passed away peacefully on Feb 1st at the home she shared with her sister, Theresa N. Bohrer on Long Corner Road, Mt. Airy.

She was born in Boyds, Maryland on December 29th, 1916 . She was the daughter of the late Joseph Thomas and Laura Dorsey Neel.

She was a 1941 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, and went on to earn her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Nursing from the University of MD. Lorraine, as she was known to friends spent most of her adult life in Baltimore. She enjoyed a 40 year career at University of Maryland Hospital, retiring in 1981 as a Deputy Director of Nursing. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honor Society and remained in close touch with friends from the hospital and her nursing days, well into retirement.

She was a devout Catholic and a communicant of St. Michaels Church in Poplar Springs. She was active in the Auxiliary of the Little Sisters of the Poor during her time in Baltimore, and spent many hours in service and spiritual retreats.

Nina, as she was affectionately called by family and close friends, was devoted to family and friends. She participated in the Women's Civic League during her years in Baltimore and for many years attended and helped with the famed Flower Mart. She enjoyed travel and during her retirement traveled to the Caribbean , Hawaii and Alaska, among other places.

Her biggest joy in life was her family. During her working years in Baltimore, she always returned to the family home in Mt. Airy to spend weekends, later going to her sister's home in Long Corner following the passing of her parents. She felt very connected to her extended family and frequently visited family members in Montgomery and Frederick Counties. She documented family history and had visitied many churches and cemetaries in the area to find the gravesites of members of the Neel and Dorsey families.

She is survived by two nieces, for whom she was a second-mother, Patricia L. Schmidt and husband Roland of Mt. Airy and Pamela Bohrer Brown and husband Bill of Baltimore. She was the great aunt to Jim Thren and wife Cathy, Michelle Easterday and husband David, Stacey Murphy and husband Mike all of Mt.Airy, and Nicolas Brown and Amanda Brown of Baltimore. She was the great great aunt to Jimmy, Tyler, Jordan and Jacob Thren, Dustin and Tiffani Easterday, Brittany and Ashley Murphy all of Mt. Airy and Kaden Brown of Baltimore.

She was preceded in death by a little brother who died in infancy and her sister, Theresa, who died on January 28th, 2009.

She will be lovingly remembered by her faithful caregiver Debbie Ruppert and her part-time caregiver Megan Durbin, as well as friends Janice and Colin Rogers, Mildred Foster and cousins, Charles and Lorraine Ridgely, Kay Poole and Etta Spaulding.

Visitation: see above information

Services: The family will receive friends from 10 AM - Noon on Feb 4th at Stauffers Funeral Home, 8 East Ridgeville Blvd. Mt. Airy. Funeral Services will be at Noon on February 4th at the funeral home. Father Michael will officiate. Interment will be in Pine Grove Cemetary.

Pallbearers will be Jim Thren, David Easterday, Mike Murphy, Nicolas Brown, Jimmy Thren, Tyler Thren, Dustin Easterday and Bud Lanich.

In lieu of flowers, contibutions may be made to the St. Michaels Roman Catholic Church, Poplar Springs.