Philip R. Neill

Philip R. Neill, a longtime certified public accountant active in Seminole community affairs, died Monday after a brief illness. He was 76. Services are set for 1 p.m. Friday, November 3, 2017 at Seminole First United Methodist Church, at 910 W. Wrangler Blvd., in Seminole, Oklahoma with burial in Maple Grove Cemetery.  Pastor Mark Watson will officiate at the service. Born Oct. 11, 1941 in Holdenville, Phil was the only child of Lawrence and Pauline Neill. He graduated from Holdenville High School in 1960 and from Oklahoma State University in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army in 1967-68. A one-time oilfield roughneck, Phil worked for John McElyea’s accounting firm in downtown Oklahoma City in the 1970s. He married the love of his life, the former Marguerite “Mikee” Hamilton, on Aug. 3, 1974 in Midwest City. They lived six years in The Village, where their daughter, Robyn, was born. In 1978, Phil became a certified public accountant and two years later established his own firm in Seminole, where he was known as an expert in oil and gas taxes. Phil was a real character, assigning nicknames to nearly everyone he met and frequently playing devil’s advocate just to “stimulate” the conversation.  He loved to hunt, ride four-wheelers, and play golf. He also enjoyed boating and water skiing and was certified as a scuba diver. He especially relished family reunions, including the annual deer camp that combined hunting, tall-tale-telling, campfire meals and camaraderie.  Phil was a longtime member of Seminole First United Methodist Church and the Seminole Lion’s club. He also was active in Ducks Unlimited, once serving as state treasurer, and served on the board of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce. Tender-hearted and generous, Phil financially supported myriad local endeavors including Seminole State College athletics and just about every Seminole School fundraisers. Phil was preceded in death by his parents and by his wife of nearly 38 years, Mikee, who lost a long battle with cancer on May 9, 2012. He is survived by his daughter, Robyn, of Yukon; two aunts, Peggy Neill of Wewoka, and Tomi Norris and husband Jack of Mannford; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Arnold and Beverly Hamilton of Edmond; two nephews and their wives – Andrew and Ashley Hamilton and Matt and Jamy Hamilton – and four great nephews and nieces – Maddox, Nolan, Lyndley and Matilda Hamilton, all of Edmond;  and a host of family and close friends. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home in Seminole, Oklahoma. Funeral Information: November 3, 2017, 1:00 PM First United Methodist Church at 910 W. Wrangler Blvd. located at Seminole, Seminole, OK 74868