Cora was born on October 14, 1925 in Tlacuitapa, Jalisco, Mexico, one of 11 children to Pedro and Jesus Garcia Loyola.
Cora passed away on February 1, 2017 surrounded by her family.
Cora came to the U.S. at the age of 2 with her parents and brother Manuel. The family settled in Dividend, a little mining town near Eureka, Utah. Cora was among the children in the Tintic Mining District. She was bused to Goshen and then to Payson to attend school.
When the family moved to Salt Lake, Cora held jobs as a waitress and a store clerk.
Cora met Marvin Neale and they were married on December 27, 1956 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were blessed with three children. Together they built a beautiful home on Hyland Lake Drive. She had always dreamed of living by water, and Marv made that dream come true by finding property with a lake in the back yard. This home became a gathering place on many occasions for family, friends and neighbors. Marv passed away in 1994, and Cora deeply missed her husband for the remainder of her life.
Cora dedicated herself to her family and was proud and protective of them. Cora was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother. While Marv worked many long days at the family poultry business, Main St. Poultry, Cora assumed the role of being an exceptional mother and homemaker. Cora also spent time working at the poultry.
Cora loved gardening the flowers in her yard. She enjoyed walking and frequently would be seen walking the neighborhood and the track at Cottonwood High School. She would always come home with small treasures from her walks. She was an avid bowler in several leagues including the 49ers and the Catholic Women's League. She would never say no to a trip to Wendover! She was a loyal fan of Notre Dame football.
After 57 years, she faced the difficult decision of leaving her beloved Hyland Lake home. Cora moved into Olympus Ranch Independent Living Facility, where she made many friends in the 4 years she was there. She enjoyed playing Skip-Bo and Bingo with her buddies. She loved the color pink and enjoyed a cold beer on a hot day.
Cora is survived by her 3 children Rory (Debbie) Neale, Rick (Libbie) Neale, LouLyn "Louie" (Marty) Holding; sisters Lupe, Elizabeth; brothers Mike, Pete (Jackie), David (Blanche), Vern (Darlene) and Art (Carolyn); three granddaughters Caty, Kimberly, and Blake; two great-grandchildren Ryker and Tatum; and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband Marv Neale, her parents, her brother Manuel, and infant siblings Pedro and Evangelica.
A special thanks to Dr. Stephen Aslami and wonderful staff, IMC Respiratory ICU staff for their care and compassion.
Forever loving and missing you, Mom.
Funeral service will be held at Goff Mortuary, 8090 S State Street, Midvale, UT on Monday, February 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM.
Visitors are welcome to call 1 hour prior to the service. Interment to follow at Elysian Burial Gardens, 1075 E 4580 S, Millcreek, UT.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to The American Lung Association.