Neal Powell Waters Obituary (1960 - 2017)

Neal Powell Waters, age 56, passed away peacefully on July 9, 2017, surrounded by friends and family. He was an incredibly fine man who loved his family, his friends and his country. He lived his life following the Golden Rule, showing kindness to all and treating everyone with respect and compassion. He was generous to a fault. Neal was the son of the late Bill and Virginia Waters, of Lebanon. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Karita McCaleb Waters, his two sons, Ryan McCaleb (Hannah) Waters and Dylan Powell Waters, a granddaughter, Ivy Jayne Waters, and one brother, William Harrison Waters, III. Neal was a graduate of The Webb School in Knoxville, and received a BS in Accounting from Lipscomb University. He was an expert in the apparel industry, rising to Vice President at VF Imagewear in Nashville. At the time of his death, he was the President and CEO of NAUMD, the National Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors. He was a member of the Harpeth Hills Church of Christ. In his youth, Neal was a gifted athlete, and sports continued to be an important part of his life, especially when he could share these activities with his boys. He loved baseball, golf, racquetball, football, hockey and fishing, and he was a season ticket holder for both the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Nashville Predators. He and Karita enjoyed traveling to other cities each year to watch their beloved Predators play. But the most important thing to Neal was his family. He took care of his elderly parents, over-indulged his children, doted on his granddaughter and loved his wife unconditionally. We were so blessed to have him. Visitation is Friday, 4 to 7 pm at Harpeth Hills Church of Christ. Funeral is Saturday at 11 am at the church, with visitation one hour prior to service. A reception for family and friends will follow the service. Private burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Martha O'Bryan Center, the Lipscomb University School of Music, or Project Meet Me Halfway. PARTLOW FUNERAL CHAPEL IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS (615) 444-7007. OBITUARY LINE (615) 444-7700. www.partlowchapel.com