Opal Parish McNeal was born June 16, 1944, to Richard Parish, Sr., and Mary Jane Tyson
Parish. She was the third-born of four children.

Opal accepted Christ at an early age at Mount Sariah Baptist Church, under the late Reverend S.W.
Jackson. She continued her faith by studying the word of Christ until her death.

She graduated with the 1963 Class of Charles Brown High. In 1968, Opal moved to Detroit, Michigan,
where she lived for thirteen years. While living in Michigan, she became a dental technician for a number
of years. In 1981, she moved to Monroe, Louisiana; there she obtained a degree in Travel and Tourism
from Louisiana Business College. She worked for McKenna Travel and later started her own company
named J and O Travel. In 2017, she moved to Killeen, Texas, to live with her daughter, occasionally
coming home to Monroe.

She was united in holy matrimony to Ronald J. McNeal on July 7, 1968. To this union,

four children were
born. They were married 42 years until his death in 2010.

Opal was preceded in death by her parents, Richard Parish, Sr., and Mary Jane Tyson Parish; husband,
Ronald J. McNeal; siblings, Estella Bradley, Richard Parish, Jr., Lucille Jordan, and Walter Parish;
grandson, Jarvis J. Shaw II; son-in-law, Jarvis J. Shaw; sister-in-law, Arriel Parish Brown; and nephews,
Jewel Parish, Joseph Parish, Donald Ray Parish, and Roy Jordan.

Left to cherish her memories are her children, Antoinette Shaw, Veronica (Chuck) Adams, Rodney
McNeal, and Jeffery McNeal; ten grandchildren, Kristian, Breanna, Mariah, Ethan, Damarius, Xavier,
Navonte, Jayda, Donovan, and Micah; one great-grandchild, Kristian Shaw (KJ); one play daughter,
Gloria Cockerhn; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other family, and friends.

Opal had a special relationship with her cousin, Marion Tyson; niece, Allie Bernard; cousins, Freddie
Duncan and Lee Tyson; friends, Betty Glover and Helen Guillory; nephew, Richard Parish III; great-nephew, Stacy Parish; niece, Tracy Parish; Morris Davis; and Eartha and Charles White.