Neil Ray Rosenberg

Neil Ray Rosenberg was called home by Jesus on November 26th, 3 days before his 78th birthday. Neil left this life peacefully, surrounded by his wife of 40 years, Mildred Wagner Rosenberg, and their 4 children, Terri Beaugh, Connie Bustillo, Brian Rosenberg, and Nick Rosenberg. He approached his four-year battle with cancer the same way he approached the rest of life – with grit, faith, and love. Family to Neil was about much more than blood – it was about acceptance, belonging, and mutual loyalty. This is the secret to how he and Mildred were able to blend the various origins of their four children into a tight-knit family. He invested his time in the family and would spend many hours driving on weekends to gather everyone around a campfire. Several people loved Neil like a father at different times in their lives. Of these, Pennie Truett and Beth Bowling were particularly special to him. Neil was a dedicated and passionate servant for the Lord. He was instrumental in establishing the permanent congregations of St. Leo’s and St. James’ in the Houston area through his work on various committees. He was a founding member of the Men’s Club of St. Mary’s and started the Men’s Club Golf Tournament. When you were in public with Neil, he always seemed to run into someone he knew. He earned loyalty because he was authentic. When he loved you, you could see the joy in his eyes. He laughed a lot; he was quick with a joke, and he loved to play practical jokes. John Causley and Lee Frazer were frequently involved. Although Neil was not a sore loser, winning brought him great joy. It was not unusual for neighborhood kids to come over for a rematch with Neil in HORSE; he was competing in basketball at the Y well into his late 40’s. He was doing tricks on water skis at 70. He may as well have invented trash talk. Lately, he has been beating men half his age at washers and occasionally breaking 100 on the links. His passionate, yet frugal, hobby of poker reached its zenith with his Royal Flush in Biloxi back in August. Grit, faith, and love played a starring role in Neil’s business success. No one out-hustled Neil Rosenberg. Throughout his career, his success was because of his leadership; his employees and his customers believed in him. It was when he fully embraced believing-in-himself that his company, Rayco Mechanical, thrived. While he was quite generous with his time and love, his frugality was legendary. His love of the book The Millionaire Next Door is well known, and his copy is well-circulated within the family. Neil is survived in life by his wife Mildred, their children Terri Beaugh, Connie Bustillo, Brian Rosenberg, and Nick Rosenberg; their children’s spouses Dennis Beaugh, Manuel Bustillo, Nancy Rosenberg, and Lisa Rosenberg; and their six grandchildren Marshall Bustillo, Mitchell Bustillo, Rachel Rosenberg, Hannah Rosenberg, Nickson Rosenberg, and Emma Rosenberg. He is survived by his sisters Anna Maynard, Ivy Rosenberg, and Christine Hall and his brother Michael Rosenberg. He is reunited in heaven with his parents Niilo and Mildred Ennis Rosenberg, and his brothers Stewart and Allen. While his friends are too numerous to list, the family wishes to especially thank the golf crew of Dennis and Larry Alexander, who did more to maintain his dignity than they can ever imagine. Please join the family in celebrating Neil at his beloved St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Plantersville. Visitation will be from 5-7 pm on Monday December 2nd, immediately followed by the Wake Service. The Funeral will be on Tuesday December 3rd at 10:30 am, followed by lunch in the Parish Hall. Neil was passionate about the work of the Sisters of St. Mary Namur and their apostolic mission as beacons of hope for non-violence. Donations in lieu of flowers are welcomed by the family (http://ssmnwestern.com/contact).

Neil Ray Rosenberg

November 29, 1941 - November 26, 2019