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Obituary for Neil Edward Saari
Neil Edward Saari Jr., 69, of Preston, passed away on November 19, 2020, after suffering from the effects of Lewy Body Dementia. Neil was born October 2, 1951 and grew up on Shore Road in Waterford, directly across from the Goshen Fire House that his grandfather helped found. He spent the days of his youth at Pleasure Beach with his many cousins, aunts, uncles and family friends who lived on Shore Road or knew the Saaris from their involvement in the Fire Department. Neil attended Saint Bernard School, graduating in 1969. He enjoyed working on motorcycles, cars and anything automotive. This led him to working at Rose Auto Supply and eventually owning multiple store locations. For more than 40 years, Neil was a fixture at the chain’s Groton location across from the Submarine Base, where he met and helped thousands of people, going to great lengths to assist customers in troubleshooting, repairing and finding the right parts for their cars. He developed many life-long relationships with customers and other business owners, and was known for his welcoming, friendly demeanor and extensive knowledge of vehicles. Neil sold his businesses and eventually retired in 2017 from the same business he started at so many years before. Neil married Dawn Bixby in July of 1982 and together had two sons, Joshua and Christopher. He spent many summer evenings playing catch with his sons, and as they grew older, loved to talk baseball with his eldest son Josh, and enjoyed spending time with Chris at the gun range, riding motorcycles and taking trips to Laconia Motorcycle Week. Neil became a grandfather in 2017 when his son Josh and his wife Jennifer welcomed their first child: Wilder. Neil loved spending time with his grandson and happily welcomed their second child, a daughter, Moxie in May of 2020, making him a “Papa” for the second time. Like his father, Neil was an avid Red Sox fan, and the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 was the highlight of his time as a fan. He also loved dogs, as anyone who was a patron of his store could attest to, as the family’s faithful Basset Hound, Gus, traveled with Neil to work almost every day. Neil was pre-deceased by his father, Neil Edward Saari Sr., and mother, Theresa (Portelance) Saari. He is survived by his wife, two loving sons and their significant others, two grandchildren, his cousins, and many long-standing friends and acquaintances he made through his professional life and personal hobbies.
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