Obituary for LaVerne S. Nealy
Ruby (neé Rubye) LaVerne Scott Nealy was born November 10, 1943 in Quitman, Ga. (Brooks County) to the late Alston James Scott, Sr. and Rubye Lee Dawson Scott. She was the first of four children, one of whom passed almost immediately after birth, given to this union.
As a young child, LaVerne wanted to go to school so badly, she pestered her grandmother until she was allowed to start first grade at the age of 4 after her grandmother assured the principal that LaVerne would not be disruptive.
While part of the reason was to keep up with her cousins Doris Harden and the late Gloria Arnerine Nelson, the early entrance into school started a life of learning that led to advanced degrees and a four-decade career of teaching.
She was raised in Quitman until her father was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after serving in World War II and moved the family permanently to Miami.
Although she spent many summers in Quitman, LaVerne received her early education in Dade County schools and, in 1960, graduated from Carver High School, where she served as: co-editor of the yearbook, The Hornet; the class corresponding secretary; a majorette; a member of the Student Athletic Association; and a member of the Future Teachers Association.
After graduating from Carver High, she set her sights for college and Talladega College (Talladega, Ala.). Originally, she wanted to be an opera singer and major in music. However, she became enamored with foreign languages. In 1964, she graduated from Talladega College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages, specializing in Spanish. She continued advanced studies in Spanish through New Paltz State University, (New Paltz, N.Y.), Wichita State University, (Wichita, Kan.) and Puebla University, (Puebla, Mexico), and earned a Master of Arts degree in teaching Spanish Linguistics from Florida Atlantic University, (Boca Raton, Fla.), in 1980.
In 1964, LaVerne began her teaching career in Palm Beach County schools, where she taught Spanish and French (and some English) until her retirement in 2005. During her more than 40-year career, she taught at Lincoln Jr. High School, John F. Kennedy Jr. High School, Twin Lakes High School, and Palm Beach Lakes High School. She also taught Spanish at Bethune-Cookman University’s satellite campus in West Palm Beach.
Her love for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. began at Talladega, but there was no active collegiate chapter at the time. She fulfilled her Zeta desire in 1966 by being initiated into the Delta Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. shortly after she moved to the West Palm Beach area. Since then, LaVerne has held almost every office in the chapter, including president a number of times. She also helped charter the Iota Omicron Zeta Chapter (Belle Glade) in the 1970s and served as State Historian and State Trustee. In 2012, LaVerne was inducted into Zeta’s Hall of Fame at the Florida State Leadership Conference.
The same year that she fell in love with Zeta, she married her true love – John Nealy, Jr. To this union were born two children – John Kenneth Nealy III and Jounice LaVerne Nealy-Brown. They originally lived in Riviera Beach, Florida and moved to West Palm Beach in 1972. During their marriage, they traveled extensively, exploring Mexico, Nova Scotia, Tahiti, Canada, South America, Alaska, and Hawaii.
LaVerne was baptized at an early age at Macedonia Baptist Church in Coconut Grove and was a regular visitor at St. James Baptist Church of Coconut Grove, which was her parents’ subsequent church.
In 1976, she joined Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, where she served on the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, on the Music Committee, as president of the November Month Club, as pianist/organist for youth choirs at Tabernacle and at Peaceful Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and sang in Tabernacle’s Sanctuary Choir since its inception.
Short in stature, or “vertically challenged,” as she would joke, LaVerne had a big personality that penetrated the atmosphere and beamed into the hearts of others. Even through her illness, she reassuringly and contently told her family that “God has a reason for everything.” LaVerne was a consummate optimist with an incomprehensible upbeat disposition, a quick smile, and jolly presence. She was an avid fan of the In the Heat of the Night, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy! Prior to her illness, LaVerne was a wonderful baker who favored homemade, buttery pound cakes and a fan of down home cooking. She also savored her family, friends, fellowship, and fancy church hats.
Having battled a debilitating illness for years, LaVerne earned her heavenly crown on June 2, 2022. She was predeceased by her husband, John Nealy, Jr. She is survived by her two children John Kenneth (Konyika) Nealy, III, Tampa, FL, and Jounice LaVerne (Rev. Brent) Brown, St. Petersburg, FL. She also will be sorely missed by her doting brothers, former NASA Astronaut and Capt. Winston Elliot Scott, USN, Retired (Marilyn), Melbourne, FL and Alston James Scott, Jr., Atlanta, GA; her especially devoted brother-in-law, Napoleon Nealy, Sr. (Margaret), West Palm Beach, FL; grandchildren: Jordan, Adrian, and Jackson Nealy; USMA (West Point) Cadet Brent A. Brown II and Laci V. Brown; nieces Kimberly Jones and the very loving Megan K. Trusdell (Brian); her late husband’s oldest son, Ronald Nealy (Janice) of Ellerslie, GA; nephews Colin Jones, Napoleon Nealy Jr. (Susen), and Capt. Winston Elliott Scott II, USN; special sister-cousins Doris Harden and Leola Butler; and other “cousins by the dozens,” relatives, and sorrowing friends.
As a young child, LaVerne wanted to go to school so badly, she pestered her grandmother until she was allowed to start first grade at the age of 4 after her grandmother assured the principal that LaVerne would not be disruptive.
While part of the reason was to keep up with her cousins Doris Harden and the late Gloria Arnerine Nelson, the early entrance into school started a life of learning that led to advanced degrees and a four-decade career of teaching.
She was raised in Quitman until her father was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after serving in World War II and moved the family permanently to Miami.
Although she spent many summers in Quitman, LaVerne received her early education in Dade County schools and, in 1960, graduated from Carver High School, where she served as: co-editor of the yearbook, The Hornet; the class corresponding secretary; a majorette; a member of the Student Athletic Association; and a member of the Future Teachers Association.
After graduating from Carver High, she set her sights for college and Talladega College (Talladega, Ala.). Originally, she wanted to be an opera singer and major in music. However, she became enamored with foreign languages. In 1964, she graduated from Talladega College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages, specializing in Spanish. She continued advanced studies in Spanish through New Paltz State University, (New Paltz, N.Y.), Wichita State University, (Wichita, Kan.) and Puebla University, (Puebla, Mexico), and earned a Master of Arts degree in teaching Spanish Linguistics from Florida Atlantic University, (Boca Raton, Fla.), in 1980.
In 1964, LaVerne began her teaching career in Palm Beach County schools, where she taught Spanish and French (and some English) until her retirement in 2005. During her more than 40-year career, she taught at Lincoln Jr. High School, John F. Kennedy Jr. High School, Twin Lakes High School, and Palm Beach Lakes High School. She also taught Spanish at Bethune-Cookman University’s satellite campus in West Palm Beach.
Her love for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. began at Talladega, but there was no active collegiate chapter at the time. She fulfilled her Zeta desire in 1966 by being initiated into the Delta Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. shortly after she moved to the West Palm Beach area. Since then, LaVerne has held almost every office in the chapter, including president a number of times. She also helped charter the Iota Omicron Zeta Chapter (Belle Glade) in the 1970s and served as State Historian and State Trustee. In 2012, LaVerne was inducted into Zeta’s Hall of Fame at the Florida State Leadership Conference.
The same year that she fell in love with Zeta, she married her true love – John Nealy, Jr. To this union were born two children – John Kenneth Nealy III and Jounice LaVerne Nealy-Brown. They originally lived in Riviera Beach, Florida and moved to West Palm Beach in 1972. During their marriage, they traveled extensively, exploring Mexico, Nova Scotia, Tahiti, Canada, South America, Alaska, and Hawaii.
LaVerne was baptized at an early age at Macedonia Baptist Church in Coconut Grove and was a regular visitor at St. James Baptist Church of Coconut Grove, which was her parents’ subsequent church.
In 1976, she joined Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, where she served on the Board of Trustees for more than 20 years, on the Music Committee, as president of the November Month Club, as pianist/organist for youth choirs at Tabernacle and at Peaceful Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and sang in Tabernacle’s Sanctuary Choir since its inception.
Short in stature, or “vertically challenged,” as she would joke, LaVerne had a big personality that penetrated the atmosphere and beamed into the hearts of others. Even through her illness, she reassuringly and contently told her family that “God has a reason for everything.” LaVerne was a consummate optimist with an incomprehensible upbeat disposition, a quick smile, and jolly presence. She was an avid fan of the In the Heat of the Night, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy! Prior to her illness, LaVerne was a wonderful baker who favored homemade, buttery pound cakes and a fan of down home cooking. She also savored her family, friends, fellowship, and fancy church hats.
Having battled a debilitating illness for years, LaVerne earned her heavenly crown on June 2, 2022. She was predeceased by her husband, John Nealy, Jr. She is survived by her two children John Kenneth (Konyika) Nealy, III, Tampa, FL, and Jounice LaVerne (Rev. Brent) Brown, St. Petersburg, FL. She also will be sorely missed by her doting brothers, former NASA Astronaut and Capt. Winston Elliot Scott, USN, Retired (Marilyn), Melbourne, FL and Alston James Scott, Jr., Atlanta, GA; her especially devoted brother-in-law, Napoleon Nealy, Sr. (Margaret), West Palm Beach, FL; grandchildren: Jordan, Adrian, and Jackson Nealy; USMA (West Point) Cadet Brent A. Brown II and Laci V. Brown; nieces Kimberly Jones and the very loving Megan K. Trusdell (Brian); her late husband’s oldest son, Ronald Nealy (Janice) of Ellerslie, GA; nephews Colin Jones, Napoleon Nealy Jr. (Susen), and Capt. Winston Elliott Scott II, USN; special sister-cousins Doris Harden and Leola Butler; and other “cousins by the dozens,” relatives, and sorrowing friends.