Ian Neal RIP

We are sorry to report that Ian Neal has passed away.

If anyone was the founder of RI911 it was Ian. Some of us recall the inaugural meeting (2002?) with barely more than half a dozen people. In those days doubting the official story would often get an angry response.

Here are some tributes followed by an account from his wife...

So, so sorry to hear this - Ian was an amazing man, a friend, as well as a bit of a mentor for me.
anniemachon

I hope his family will take some comfort in the fact that he was a warrior against the lies and deceptions that have caused so much suffering in this world. To work for peace and truth is the highest vocation. Love and support to all his family and friends,
Graeme MacQueen

Glad to hear he passed peacefully. He was a great guy - I always had the greatest respect for him. I've let Lea know, as she is not on email.
Paul Barbara

Sorry to hear of this sad news but will pray for his soul and spirit to rest in peace and am sure he is amongst the rightly guided truth seekers in this age of DAJJAL-deceit.
myaseen

Very sad to get this message, I only met Ian about three times, but found him incredibly level headed, calm and insightful. Qualities not easily nurtured in activists sometimes! I will think of him this week and remember the encounters we had.
Calum Douglas

very sad indeed.... as I remember that meeting it was in a sort of basement, with Ian, Noel, yourself, me and a couple of others who I've forgotten (my recollection adds Keith, Simon A, James T - Ian H)
Jay Ginn

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Wendy writes...

Ian was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma (grade 4) in September 2017 - he was told at the outset that it was incurable and he'd have 12 - 15 months. We had an operation to remove as much of it as possible followed by chemo and radio therapy. He was in the middle of a further 6 months of chemo in June when we were told the treatment wasn't working. However Ian had decided to give up the chemo anyway and try alternative therapies instead. He had gone to a cancer conference in April in Milton Keynes and this had persuaded him that conventional medicine would never work and he needed to try alternatives and he couldn't do this while he was receiving chemo - hence his decision to stop treatment.

The thing that bothered him the most was his poor eyesight which stopped him playing football, reading the paper and ultimately being able to use his phone and PC. Other than that he had very few side effects and during the year we travelled to Paris and Spain, went to the Isle of Wight Festival, saw ELO in concert and watched huge amounts of football as the sun shone. We organised a big party for him in September and he was amazed at how many people turned up from far and wide. He told people it was a wedding party (we married in January 2018) but in reality everyone knew that that end was close. It was a lovely occasion with Ian chatting, drinking, smoking and playing his music.

From October onwards he started to go downhill, more muddled, sleeping a lot, less mobile and at the beginning of December he was admitted to the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher. They thought he wouldn't last the weekend but he astonished everyone by making it through Christmas and New Year. He died peacefully and pain free on Saturday - he was ready to go and very relaxed right until the end listening to Bob Marley with the sun shining.

Ian didn't want a funeral - he said what's the point in getting everyone together when I'm not there. We will be sprinkling his ashes in the Thames and in a river in Africa in memory of all the good work he did as a water engineer around the world.

A lot of his friends and colleagues asked about giving to charity in lieu of a funeral so I have set up a memorial page for Ian. Please feel free to share it. There are some nice photos on the page too.

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/IanNeal1

His football team is organising a memorial match on Sunday and will do the same on the first Sunday in February every year in tribute to Ian.

I have posted information on his Facebook page in case any of the group are on social media.

Best wishes

Wendy