Mrs. Marie B. Neal passed on Tuesday evening, January 12, 2021 at Chatham Health and Rehabilitation Center in Chatham, VA.  Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at the McLaurin Memorial Chapel at 12 noon, with family visitation beginning one hour prior to the service.  Public viewing will be held on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 from 2:00 until 7:00 p.m.

Marie Beck Neal was born on April 7, 1926, in Pittsylvania County, Virginia to Arthur Lee Beck Sr. and Louisa Graves Beck.  She peacefully transitioned into eternal rest on Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Marie was educated in the Pittsylvania County public school system in the state of Virginia. She accepted Christ at a young age and was a member of the family home church, Triumph Missionary Baptist Church in Chatham, VA.  She later joined First Baptist Church of Reidsville, NC and remained a faithful member for many years where she participated in the Missionary Circle (Mission Group 1-4-5), taught Sunday School and sang in the Gospel Choir, until her health would no longer allow her to live alone.  She first resided in the Penn Nursing Facility in Reidsville, NC and later moved to the Chatham Rehabilitation Center in Chatham, VA to be closer to her daughter, Mable Davis.

Marie was blessed with two children: Rev. Amos Beck of Fort Washington, MD and Helen T. Fitzgerald.  She later married the late Percy Lester and relocated to Reidsville, North Carolina and to this union and they were blessed with four children:  Earnest Lester of Lanham, MD, Mable (Acie) Davis, of Chatham, VA, James Lester and Sherman Lester.

Marie later married Clifton Joe Neal affectionately known as Muffin in 1969 and they continued to live in Reidsville, NC until his death in June of 1995.  They were a blended family with eleven children.  Marie was a caring woman and therefore "Caretaker" was the fitting career field for her.  Dr. and Mrs. Trigg can attest to her caring ways in how she cared for their children.  She was the caretaker for many residents in the city of Reidsville who needed that special touch that Marie possessed.  She loved nice things and was a sharp dresser.  The family can always remember her favorite drink, Pepsi.  She also enjoyed traveling to Virginia to spend the night with two of her sisters Geneva Coles and Connie Pritchett.  In her later years at the nursing home, she really enjoyed the opportunity to get to "Sweetie Pie's" front porch.  Spending the weekend at Sweetie Pie's (Mable) home was the highlight of her weekends, enjoying some good country food with her Pepsi, laughing at her grandchildren and enjoying her favorite son-in-law, Acie.

In addition to her parents, Marie was preceded in death by her husband, Clifton Neal; three children, Helen Fitzgerald, James Lester and Sherman Lester; one grandson, Roger Beck; one great grandchild, Shaniyah Dublin; three sisters, Rebecca Beck, Dorothy Beck and Geneva Coles; and three brothers, Jimmy Beck, Arthur Beck, Jr. (Buck) and Billy Beck.

Marie leaves behind to cherish her memories three children, Rev. Amos Beck, Earnest Lester, and Mable (Acie) Davis; six grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; two sisters, Connie Pritchett, of Danville, VA and Dassie Robertson, of Farmville, VA; one brother, Bobby Beck of Alexandria, VA; nieces, nephews and a host of other relatives and dear friends.

McLaurin Funeral Home is serving the family.  Covid-19 precautions will be followed with social distancing, masks and sanitizing required.  You may connect to the Virtual services via teleconference call by dialing (701) 802-5263 and then access code 6545855# or FaceBook livestreaming via McLaurin Funeral Home's FB page.