Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Quadriplegic man dies more than 11 years after shooting left him paralyzed
Victim of robbery in Philly described as selfless and charismatic
Kevin Neary, who was known as much for a tragedy that left him quadriplegic as his selfless work for other people and his charismatic and connective personality, died Monday at Riddle Hospital. He was 40 years old. Neary had been grappling with bouts of pneumonia over the last year and the most recent one saw him admitted to Riddle about two weeks ago.
His family said despite excellent care, he did not respond to treatment and passed away Monday comfortably and without pain.
“He had had a few bouts of pneumonia over the past year and it had gotten successively worse,” his brother, Chris, said, adding that because of his condition, “the lungs are a lot more susceptible to infection.”
Neary was walking home Nov. 14, 2011, and was about 30 yards from his Northern Liberties home in Philadelphia when he was shot in the neck during an attempted robbery. His spinal cord was shattered and he was left paralyzed from the neck down, needing round-theclock care.
Christopher Easton was sentenced to 30- to 60-years in prison for the crime.
A multitude of community members helped to construct a wheelchair accessible addition onto his father’s home in Upper Chichester, where Neary had grown up.
His father, Joseph Neary, shared what it’s been like.
“We had 24-hour nursing,” he said. “The last two or three years, it has been significantly harder to find people, so I’d be covering the hours. He always had somebody here to take care of him. The house is incredibly empty. You’ve been in this situation for 11 years — you had people here all the time. There was constantly people here. We had nurses here, we had aides here … I can hear echoes, it’s difficult.”
But, he added, “I have a fabulous family.”
He was thankful for his seven siblings and his two sons, Kevin’s brothers: Joe in St. Louis and Chris in Wilmington, Delaware, as well as their wives.
“Both of my sons, their wives’ families agreed to get married in the area so that Kevin could participate,” the father said. “Both families deserve a lot of credit.”
Fondest of memories
Chris recalled Kevin at those special occasions.
“He gave speeches at my wedding and my brother Joe’s wedding that brought down the house,” Chris said. “It was really heartfelt and funny.”
He said Kevin made good jokes, usually at their father’s expense.
“He said, ‘I don’t want to speak too long because I know we’re all looking forward to seeing my dad’s dance moves,’ ” Chris said.
He recalled seeing his brother in mid-January to celebrate the second birthday of his son, Logan, at their dad’s house. They had a construction-themed party for the toddler.
“You could just tell he loved his nephews,” Chris said of Kevin’s adoration for Logan and for his brother’s sons, Joseph and William. “He always had a great relationship with kids.”
Kevin Neary was a 2000 graduate of Salesianum School and a 2004 University of Pennsylvania alum, graduating cum laude with majors in political science and history.
At the time of his injury, he was a recruiter for health care and medical professionals and also waited tables on the side.
“Kevin could sell ice to Eskimos,” his dad chuckled.
He also loved sports, including baseball and college and professional basketball. Before his injury, he and his family attended the 2008 World Series.
“We always had tickets for the Phillies,” his father said. “We’d take him to games all the time.”
Chris said Kevin was often connected to sports and had a great mind for roster moves and trades.
“He was always kind of watching sports in the background or actively,” he said. “He was one of those people that knew a ton.”
Helping others
Those speaking about him recalled Kevin’s personality and selflessness.
His father recalled his friends saying, “You will feel better about yourself when you see Kevin.”
“He really benefited from being around other people,” his brother agreed. “You were his friend as soon as you met him.”
Kevin also spent time helping others, including mentoring those with spinal cord injuries, gun violence survivors and caregivers.
His dad said he would talk to patients through Magee Rehabilitation, especially about using a diaphragmatic pacemaker, which allowed him to breathe without a ventilator during the day.
“He talked to people about that: What a change it made in his life,” Joseph said. “He was a great advocate for it.”
His brother said Kevin also cared a lot about gun violence survivors and calling attention to their situation as well as caregivers.
“My dad was his primary caregiver and sacrificed a lot,” Chris said. “Kevin was cognizant of the role that all caregivers play. He liked to call attention to how important caregivers are and how to support them. He knew that even though his situation was difficult there were others in worse situations than he was.”
‘Quick connections’
Throughout the years, there had been many fundraisers to help pay for his care from golf tournaments to GoFundMe campaigns to an ax throwing event just last year.
“These fundraisers were great to raise money but more so, it was about the community,” his brother said. “They were always well attended. It was more about community-building.”
He spoke to how Kevin brought people together.
“It was Kevin’s personality,” Chris said. “He had a charm and a charisma about him, for sure (and) he was really selfless and cared about other people.”
He said there were times Kevin was having a tough day, but that changed suddenly as someone walked in the room.
“He would drop everything and the attention was focused all on you,” Chris said, adding that his brother always saw the best in people. “He was able to build quick connections with people.”
Chris and Joseph Neary were so grateful for all those who supported Kevin and the family.
“We as a family, from our perspective, we will always be appreciative of the community of support that came out consistently to support Kevin in so many ways,” his brother said. “Kevin’s personality and selfless approach for life can serve as a reminder to all of us on our worst days. He did not view himself as an inspiration but he is someone we can aspire to.”
Chris Neary shared what gave his brother a lot of purpose: “living live to the fullest and being there for other people.”
Neary’s father, full of gratitude for all the support the family has received and the community’s generosity of spirit, said his son’s life spoke for itself.
“He was one of those people,” Neary said, “that you felt enlivened by when you saw him. He was a beautiful young man. He was warm. He was friendly. Everything you would ever want in a friend, he was always there for you. He didn’t let his wheelchair define him.”
Services Friday, Saturday
The public is invited to celebrate Kevin’s life.
A visitation will be held Friday, Feb. 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the White-Luttrell Funeral Home, 311 N. Swarthmore Ave., in Ridley Park, as well as Saturday Feb. 25, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at St. John Fisher R.C. Church, 4225 Chichester Ave. in Boothwyn. A funeral Mass will be held at the church at 11 a.m.
The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Kevin’s alma mater, the Salesianum School in Wilmington, in Kevin’s honor to establish a scholarship fund in his memory.*