NORTON, Ohio—Longtime Goodyear employee Patrick "Rick" Neale, 77, who had a 40-year-career at the Akron tire maker that included being a tire engineer and later the company's chief test driver, died March 11 following a long illness.
Neale developed a wet tire-handling course at Goodyear's Akron test track during the mid-1980s, developing a methodology that is still an industry standard, according to his obituary. He also developed and ran Goodyear's winter-tire testing program in Ironwood, Mich., and spent years testing tires at Goodyear tracks in San Angelo, Texas, and in New Zealand.
After starting his career at Goodyear in 1969, he was awarded three tire design patents between 1973-76. He developed a new bead area shape for Goodyear's Custom Mini-Space trunk-mounted spare tire that prevented air loss, the obituary said.
Neale also was a record-breaking swimmer and won several awards as an autocross racer. He was president of the Akron Sports Car Club, where he designed autocross tracks raced in the Sports Car Club of America Formula 440 division.
Neale was born in June 1946 in Spokane, Wash. He was a swimmer throughout high school and college. He graduated from Washington State University in 1969 and moved to Akron to work at Goodyear.
Neale was an active volunteer in his community. He and his wife LaVonne were named the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank's Volunteers of the Year in 2018 after they earned nearly 450 service hours in the warehouse and helping with fundraisers and bake sales.
Neale is survived by LaVonne; daughters Kristi (Eric) Gerlach and Katy (Steve) Tannert; son Rick; stepdaughter Amanda (Blake) Metzler and stepson Wendell Van Sickle; brother Roger; grandchildren Rex and Clara Tannert; former wife Katherine Forsthoffer and other relatives. He was preceded in death by parents, brother Alaska and beloved dogs.
Services will be private. Neale's family has requested donations to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Akron Zoo, and Humane Society of Summit County.
