Members of the House Remember Representative Joe Neal

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- Representative Joe Neal died suddenly late Tuesday evening. The longtime lawmaker who Governor McMaster calls a “compassionate force” was known for being a strong voice for concerns in Richland County like healthcare and protecting the environment.
Neal’s seatmate of 23 years, Representative Leon Howard, says the House lost a giant. “I can’t find words to express how hard it was. It’s just like losing a family member because he is a family member to me and to all of us here in the chamber,” said Howard.

Representative Howard says he went to the hospital to be with Neal when he heard he was ill. Representative Ivory Thigpen says he rushed to see Neal as well. “I went there and I had an opportunity to talk to him. He seemed to be in a little bit of discomfort, trying to get comfortable but it went from there to labor breathing then it go to a point where they ushered us out of the room. But it was a shock, I am devastated,” said Thigpen.

The first year representative says Neal was a mentor to him, saying he and Neal shared the bond of both being legislators, pastors and fraternity brothers. Thigpen called Neal a wealth of knowledge.
“I feel blessed to have shared space with him, blessed for him to have latched on to me as I latched on to him. I value even more the precious moments when he would call me and say let’s have lunch and he’s share with me the undocumented history of the SC House,” said Thigpen.

Though they grieve, representatives say Neal would want them to keep working.

“It is a huge void. Starting today, it’s tough, but he would want us to go on. He would want us to pick up the pieces and continue the work that he championed,” said Howard.

Neither an official cause of death nor funeral arraignments have been announced as of Wednesday evening.