LOUIS EATON NEFF
1931-2017
Louis Eaton Neff, M.D. of Nacogdoches, Texas died March 28, 2017. Len, as he was known to so many, was born in Mineola, New York on May 21, 1931 to James Louis and Maron Hanson Neff. Len graduated from Lamar High School in Houston in 1949 and from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1953, where he received the outstanding Freshman Chemistry student award and also served as editor of The Pine Log. He earned his M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston in 1958, did a surgical internship at Meadowbrook Hospital Nassau County, NY from 1958-59, residency at St. Francis Hospital, Peoria, IL from 1960-1963, and a fellowship at M.D. Anderson from 1963-1965 where he was awarded the Bertner Award. At Stephen F Austin, he met Barbara Bates, whom he married December 21, 1952. He practiced General Surgery/ Surgical Oncology specializing in Diseases of the Breast in Houston from 1965- 2006.
During his career at Bellaire, Rosewood and Southwest Memorial hospitals, he served as president of the Board on Medical Legislation for Harris County Medical Society, Chief of Surgery at Southwest Memorial, Chairman of the American Cancer Society’s Crusade Team, President of American Cancer Society-Harris County Unit, served on the commission on cancer for the College of Surgeons, served as medical director of the Mind/Body Medical Institute- Houston, and helped set up the comprehensive oncology unit at Southwest Memorial.
He was an active member of the Episcopal Church where he served on vestry, missions advocate, school board president, lay reader, chalice bearer, and senior warden. He was an avid camper, river runner, fly fisherman and nature photographer. His favorite pastime was spending time with family at the national and state parks.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother James Allan Neff and infant brother Lucias Neff. He is survived by his wife Barbara Bates Neff, his son William Allan “Bill” Neff, daughters Maron Len Neff and wife Tracey Brose, Shanna Neff, Stacy Neff Burk and husband Bryan, Shelley Neff Rueff and husband Colin, 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
A memorial service to celebrate Len’s life is to be conducted at eleven o’clock, in the morning on Saturday, the 22nd of April at The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 9600 S. Gessner, Houston.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to any of the state or national parks, National Wildlife Federation, Public Broadcasting System, or to the Department of Chemistry at SFASU.