GOSHEN —
Rene R. Neff, a former Goshen Community School Board President, died early Saturday morning at Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne.
A lifetime area resident, Neff graduated from New Paris High School in 1950 and Purdue University in 1954, majoring in agricultural economics. He then served in the Army for two years. Following his stint in the military, he was President of the Board of Directors of Fairlawn Farms, south of Goshen, where he farmed with Phil Neff for 13 years.
After that, he served as the Elkhart County executive director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (now Farm Services Agency) from 1970 until his retirement in 1994.
A longtime member of the Rotary Club of Goshen, he also served on the County Extension Board for nine years; Goshen Community School Board for 12 years; and Spring Brooke Board of Directors. He was a member of the Interra Credit Union Board for 30 years and the New Paris Telephone Board of Directors for 48 years. He was an Elkhart Township volunteer firefighter for 17 years. He was a member of First United Methodist Church and a past member of St. Marks United Methodist Church, both of Goshen, and was on numerous church committees.
Current Goshen School Board member Dan West served with Neff for eight years on the board, after Neff, whose wife taught West’s son in kindergarten, encouraged him to run for school board,
“Rene called and said that they had an opening on the school board,” West recalled, “and that I should throw my name in.”
West, who is still on the board 32 years later, also said Saturday that “the community lost a real find” in Neff.
“He was very outgoing, very personable, just a well-rounded individual,” West said. “I always admired his thought process and just the way he handled things.”
Friends may call 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., Monday and an hour prior to the 10 a.m., Tuesday funeral service at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home. Pastors Ed and Brenda Fritz will officiate.
Burial will follow in Violett Cemetery, Goshen.
You can read a complete obituary on this page.
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Rene Neff, the former board president of Goshen Community Schools, and active member of the community for decades, died Saturday. He was 79.
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