W. Neil Van Atta went to his heavenly home to rejoin his beloved Eileen on July 3, 2008. Neil was a native of Ohio and was born on May 9, 1921. He and Eileen moved to Humboldt County in 1979 to be near their daughter and son-in-law, Jan and Michael Paulus.

Neil was a proud member of the “Greatest Generation” having survived the Depression and served his country in World War II. He was an Aviation Machinist Mate First Class in the Navy. He was initially stationed in Pensacola, Fla., and then shipped out to Okinawa.

Neil worked for the Ohio Bell Telephone Company for 37 years. He worked in a number of different jobs there but his favorite was repairing complex phone systems that were broken. He could figure out how to fix just about anything. Friends used to tease him by saying he could fix anything but the break of day and he was working on that!

Neil was a devout Christian and an active member of Calvary Lutheran Church from the time he and Eileen moved to California until his death. He particularly liked to praise the Lord in song. He was still singing in the Calvary choir and the Calvary men’s group, the Calvary Connection, at the time of his death.

Neil was preceded in death by his beloved Eileen in 2001; his parents, H.R. and Irene Van Atta; his parents-in-law, Carl and Maple Emmelhainz; his brother-in-law, Charles MacKay; and his sister-in-law, Beatrice Scheiderer.

Neil is survived by his loving daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Michael Paulus; his granddaughter, her husband and their children, Lisa, Geoff, Sophia, and Maceo Moore of San Francisco; his brother and sister-in-law, Floyd and Betty Van Atta of Columbus, Ohio; his sister-in-law, Kathlen MacKay of Seattle, Wash.; his brother-in-law, Robert Scheiderer of Marysville, Ohio; and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Joann and Charles Westin of Holts Summit, Mo. He also leaves three nieces: Vivian MacKay, Susan Doepping, and Rebecca Post; and five nephews: Michael MacKay, James Scheiderer, Stephen, Jeffrey and Bradley Westin; and several great nieces and nephews.

As a father, father-in-law, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, Neil will always be remembered and cherished for his love and loyalty to his friends, family, country, and church. He had a great love of life and enthusiasm for everything he did.

We wish to thank Chris Lee, MD for his wonderful care of Neil for the past 29 years and especially for his expertise and compassion during the last two weeks of Neil’s life. We also wish to thank the amazing nursing staff at Mad River hospital for all they did for Neil for the two weeks he was in the hospital.

Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursday July 10, at Sanders Funeral Home, E St., Eureka. Encryptment will at 11 a.m. on Friday July 11, at Sunset Mausoleum. A celebration of Neil’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Sat., July 12 at Calvary Lutheran Church, 716 South St., Eureka.

In lieu of flowers, please make gifts to Calvary Lutheran Church, 716 South St, Eureka, CA 95501 or to the Telephone Pioneers.