I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of Dave Neff, meaning Dave and Jimmy and their families.  My Dad and Dave were good friends and went fishing/hunting together.  Dave came to Herr and Brenneman Garage where I worked to get his car serviced.  But best of all he was my teacher and soccer coach at Penn Manor High School when we won the Lancaster County Championship in the fall of 1968 (the picture is in the display case at PM new gym. I went to MU and then Garden Spot HS where I coached soccer and baseball.
Thanks Dave!!!

Sincerely,
Fred Erisman (PM Class of 69)

Neff Family and Friends:
The Penn Manor Alumni Association has four separate awards that are bestowed on deserving PM alumni.  Alumni of the Year, Induction to the PM Athletic Wall of Honor, Induction to the PM Distinguished Alumni Wall of Honor, and the PMAA President's Award.  Dave Neff is the only Penn Manor alumni to ever receive all four of these prestigious distinctions.

All Penn Manor alumni have many fond memories of this legend and we offer our sincere condolences at this time.

Frank Geist, Past President
PMAA

I want to extend my sympathy to the Neff Family.  With the passing of Dave, it bring additional closure to the "old" Penn Manor Staff which my father was so proud of the group.  Dave was a true "Manor" individual.  He was a kind and determine individual to make Penn Manor (I should say Manor High) the best.  He will long be remembered for his efforts in the Millersville Community.

Our thoughts are with you.
Bill Brackbill

It is with a heavy heart that I read of Dave's passing this morning and wish to send my sincere sympathy to his sons and their families.  He spoke so often of you and was so proud of all your successes. 

David was my department chairman at Penn Manor from 1969 until he retired.  I taught with him and was supervised by him.  He was a very kind man with a great deal of compassion for his teachers, students and athletes.  A tough task-master but a kind gentle person dedicated to his profession and all sports. 

I regret that I will be out of town this week with family for Thanksgiving and will be unable to attend his memorial service.  I'm sure there will be many accolades to his life....and you can be proud of the life your father and grandfather lived. 

God bless you all. 
Nancy Grimm

To Family of the Mr. David Neff,
Our prayers out to his family, as he was very great, kindness person to have around. He was my gym teacher at Penn Manor, as well a friend that lived real close to my family in Millersville. He couch me to move on, and do my best to do what he wanted me to do, "As well only on our of SpEd class made the cross country, and other sports. He full filled other's from Penn manor that made their life better to deal with. The teen Center was one of them. Everytime you see hime,"He had a smile that was so warm, and kindness of joking with you. He will be miss, "But insure that his couching just got started in that great city that we all be gone to someday. If we keep in mine that GOD is in control l of our life. Bless that family to have a great Father, and granfather, as well a good friend!

Love you all,
Ralph Carl Stone
162 Pinetown Rd Leola Pa 17540

I well remember Mr. Neff at Oxford Area High School. He was a strong, but gentle presence in the classroom and in the sports arena. I know you will miss him. Hold on to the memories.
May God give you comfort and hope.
June Windle Bare
OAHS class of 1955

OUR THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU IN PASSING OF YOUR FATHER. WE HAVE MANY FOUND MEMORIES WORKING WITH DAVE IN THE ARENA OF SPORT OVER MANY YEARS. DAVE WAS A FRIEND TO MANY AND A GIVER TO OTHERS. WE STILL USE TWO OF HIS WOODEN CARVINGS THEY ARE FOUND IN OUR KITCHEN "HOLDING OUR MEDICINE, DURING THESE GOLDEN AGES" . DICK'S RELATIONSHIP WAS AT PENN MANOR HIGH SCHOOL FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND MARGE KNEW HIM THROUGH OFFICIATING GAMES AT PENN MANOR AND IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS TALKING WITH HIM ABOUT MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY HALL OF FAME. WE WILL MISS HIS PHONE CALLS AS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WE WOULD HAVE HIM CALL US AND WE KNEW IT WOULD BE MANY MINUTES OF GREAT CONVERSATION.

PEACES BE WITH ALL OF YOU AND IT IS A BLESSING THAT HE WILL ALSO BE AT PEACE.
DICK AND MARGE TROUT

To David and Jim Neff
I am part of the Cramer family in North East, Maryland...My blessed Mother, Martha Ruth Cramer Nojunas, was your Dad's first cousin....My Grandfather Albert ""Bert"" Cramer and your Grandmother Lotta Neff were brother and sister..As a young girl I remember many good times of get togethers with ""Huddy"" and the entire family...at my grandparents farm and reunions at Harold and Mabel Cramers summer cottage
Our family sends you deepest sympathy with many memories to hold dear in your heart..We have wonderful ones that we will cherish

The Nojunas Family
Michael, Jeanie, Albert

To the family of Dave Neff we wish to express our heart felt condolences.

Dave was a tough coach, but he taught us how to play the game with pride and how to be men.  I learned a lot from Coach Neff.  Which was very valuable when I needed a father figure.  He was a great asset to PMHS and the Town of Millersville.

Linda and Dale Gehr Class of 1962

We knew Dave (then we him called Mr. Neff) as a coach and teacher at Penn Manor.
In later years we knew his as friend, Dave.  I can't believe I won't be getting any more phone calls from him.  We had to be on his speed dial.  We took him to many basketball games and he always wanted to reward us with some type of his lovely wood creations.  I have rabbits, wooden trivets and other nice "Davemade" articles.  He was always so generous to us.  He would call and say he had tickets for many of his friends to attend dinners for the Masons and the Lions fortunately we were among those friends. Your dad was a very special person and will be missed.  I would imagine he is already coaching a team in heaven. 

In deepest sympathy,                                                          
Nancy Kreider Smith and Nelson Smith 

I send my sympathy to the members of the David H. Neff family.

Dave has been on my mind frequently today since I read of his passing.  I have many fond memories of Dave, since my desk was next to his and I observed him and interacted with him for 16 years.  I was one of "Dave's people" until he retired from teaching.  Dave referred to the members of his department at Penn Manor as "his people."  Until today, I continued to be one of "his people" for 29 more years.  Dave looked out for us both in and out of school.  We never stopped being one of Dave's people.  Even though he has crossed over, we will continue to be one of Dave's people and he will continue to look out for us from afar. 

I thought I knew Dave pretty well until I "walked in his shoes" for 8 years after I became Chairman of the Health, Physical Education, and Driver Safety Department.  Once you walk in someone's shoes you realize why they thought and acted the way they did.  "We always did it this way" took on a deeper meaning because you came to realize how much thought and the many years of experience when into that decision.

I am thankful during this season of Thanksgiving that Dave Neff shared part of his life with me.  May God bless Dave and Sara's family during this difficult time in their lives and may our focus be on the celebration of Dave's life and not on his passing.  Dave and Sara are together again!

Sincerely, Jim Amigh
Penn Manor Health and Physical Education Department
1965 to 2005

I am very sorry for the loss of your father. If you said you new Dave you certainly would not be a minority for more people new him than one might expect. His recollection of times past, people and conditions were incredible. He was a virtual history book of athletics and athletes. We will all miss him.
Fellow teacher and friend,
John "Sully" Sullivan

Jim, Dave and Family,

My wife Debra and I had the honor of knowing your parents.  Deb and I purchased the Enos Eshbach property in 1971. 

Soon after our initial efforts to renovate the property, Dave stopped to introduce himself and offer what ever we needed in the way of tools and  anything else he might have around the barn to help us out.

His offer of a slate knife to help me repair of our roof was just what I needed.  I was young and foolish, but having the proper tool for the project encouraged me to climb up two and one half stories and repair that slate roof. I discovered old slate would break under my weight (a fact Dave failed to mention) and sent me sliding down over the edge of the roof.  I only fell off the roof once, eight feet to the porch roof!  If Coach Neff saw the landing, he would have said I stuck it and given me at least an 8.0 for the experience.   Dave always gave of himself, under his tutelage he helped me build our concrete front porch at that old house.  Those "concrete" lessons have served me well over the years.

In the summer of 1972, your Dad told me of an opening at Penn Manor High in what was then known as the Industrial Arts Department.  He and your Mom were happy I was the successful candidate for that job!  Again, I was thankful for my neighbors. Dave's Penn Manor stories abound, by now, I am sure you have been told about the bitterly cold winter morning that Dave set fire to a metal trash can of paper in the faculty room.  It is a true story, I was there!  The fire barely warmed the room but the laughter made the cold room more pleasant.  

No matter where we have lived, I have remembered the kindness of your parents and have tried to be a good neighbor.

We share the loss of his passing and pray your and the families pain will be eased by his meaningful life.

Regards,

Debra and Alfred J. Karcheski
2120 New Holland Pike
Lancaster, PA  17601

Jim and Dave -

Please accept our sincere condolences on the passing of your father.  Coach Neff had a major impact on the direction of my life and for that I will be forever grateful. 

Jim and Monica Bishop

We send our condolences to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Eric Collier Neff
David Talmadge Neff

Dave and Jim:

Please accept my sympathy on the passing of your father.  I have many good memories of the many Thanksgivings and Christmases we all shared as an extended family with Grandma Neff in Lancaster. 
I am sorry I was not able to attend the services.

Your cousin,

Linda Salhanick

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