Frank W. Neary; Founded Landscape Company

Frank W. Neary, a longtime employee of Ventura County and later a landscape designer, died in his Ventura home Tuesday after a short bout with cancer. He was 59.

Born Aug. 18, 1937, in Santa Barbara, he moved to Ventura about 28 years ago.

Neary was a graduate of Santa Barbara Catholic High School and served two years in the Army in the late 1950s before obtaining a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Long Beach State College in 1965.

Neary spent two years as a civil engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power before taking the same job with the Ventura County Public Works Department, a position he held for 17 years.

In 1978, he founded Frank Neary Contractor, a Ventura-based landscape construction business that fulfilled mostly city and county government contracts. Neary built numerous parks, ball fields, beach access ramps, trails and playgrounds throughout the county.

“He was honest, hard working,” his son, Brian, said Wednesday. “He always felt a great satisfaction from his projects--having built them from nothing up to something people could enjoy. It always made him feel proud.”

Neary’s greatest joy, however, was his family and friends.

“We liked his willingness to help others,” Brian Neary said. “We liked his sense of humor, his kindness and the gift that he gave us in helping us to appreciate the simple things in life.”

Besides Brian and his wife Lynn, of Cotati, Neary is survived by his wife of 37 years, Diane; son Robert and his wife Martha of Ventura, sons Jeff of Sacramento and Joseph of Ventura; brothers James of Santa Barbara, Norman of San Francisco and Edward of Scottsdale, Ariz., and several grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura.

Arrangements are under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, Ventura.

Memorial contributions may be made to a local hospice organization or charity of the donor’s choice.