Neil Buss was born in Eshowe in 1943.  He met his soldier father only once, at the age of three months, when his father was on leave.  Shortly after, his father was killed fighting Mussolini's forces in Italy.  Neil and his two brothers were raised by his devout, hard working and independent mother.  At school, Neil was a kindly and courteous classmate, with a quiet determination.

After school Neil attended the University of Natal, where he took his BA degree in English and economics.  He did his military service with the Natal Mounted Rifles, and decided to enter a military career as his father had done.

In 1966 Neil married Carol Bongers.  They had first met as teenagers, and Neil had been instantly smitten!  This engagement photo of the young couple was taken by our classmate Barry Comber.

Neil and Carol eventually had four children.  Here they are in a photo from 1990: Shaun, Michael, Gary, and Cheryl:

Neil rose quickly to the rank of major in the military.  Here he is at a parade in Durban in 1968, resplendent in his officer's uniform:

However Neil was too young for the next army promotion and was unwilling to wait for it, so he decided to change his career.  He joined the Standard Bank, and was soon promoted to their international office in London.  From that base Neil travelled and worked all over Europe. He then returned to South Africa, but in 1976 decided to emigrate to the United States.  The young family arrived in New York on a Greek cargo ship, passing beneath the Statue of Liberty.  Neil always had a special gratitude for the freedom he felt in America.

The family settled in Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia area, where Neil worked in senior banking positions until 1981.  He then had an opportunity to work as Treasurer for the New Church at its Pennsylvania headquarters nearby.  There, Neil showed great financial acumen, and in due course he was promoted to Chief Officer of the Church Investment Fund, whose assets he vastly increased through his astute and decisive planning.   

This photo was taken shortly before Neil retired from the Church position at the turn of the century:

After Neil's retirement, he and Carol lived partly in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, in a home next to a nature reserve, and partly in Highland Beach, Florida, where they had an apartment overlooking the ocean.  The Florida location, with its familiar climate, beaches, and tropical vegetation, reminded them of Durban:

With the demands of his working life over, Neil became a very relaxed and jolly personality. His life revolved around his family, which included twelve grandchildren -- a record for the Class of 1961!  Here is a photo of the extended family (minus a grandchild yet to be born) at their Pennsylvania home:

The grandchildren knew Neil as a fun-loving grandpa who could recite many poems from memory, as well as passages from Shakespeare and the wartime speeches of Winston Churchill.  Neil loved gardening, and was proud that he had fed all four families of his children from his home-grown vegetables.  In recognition of his origins, Neil often wore South African brand leather hats, and he especially enjoyed grilling a good braai for family and friends:

In March of 2024,  Neil and Carol invited classmate Ian Robertson, who was in Florida at the time, to an afternoon of lunch and swimming at their beachfront home.  It was the first time Ian and Neil had seen each other since they left school 63 years before!  Ian received the most warm and gracious welcome, and was struck by the extraordinary depth of the love and regard that Neil and Carol had for each other.  Carol took this photo of Ian and Neil:

And Ian took this photo of Neil and Carol:

Unfortunately Neil passed away in his sleep at their Pennsylvania home, on 20 July 2024.

Neil Buss is survived by Carol, his wife of 58 years; his children Michael, Gary, Shaun, and Cheryl and their spouses; and his twelve grandchildren.

[Special thanks to Carol Buss for all her help with this In Memory Notice]