ILWACO – Ocean Park resident Ervin J. Neff, 67, died Dec. 23, 2004, in Ilwaco. The son of Edward and Gladys (Gustafson) Neff, he was born April 2l, 1937, in Portland, Ore. He grew up in Portland where he attended Grant High School.

As a youth, Mr. Neff became interested in automobiles. For a number of years he raced stock cars at the Portland Raceway and Jantzen Beach track and had many memorable races and experiences. He also worked as an independent Oregonian newspaper distributor.

For a number of years, he was a frequent visitor to the Peninsula where he fished with his good friend Brick Taylor. In 1974 he moved to Long Beach where he distributed the Chinook Observer for several years and in 1976 purchased Obie’s 76 Station and Long Beach Auto Sales. He operated Obie’s until 1999 and Long Beach Auto Sales until 2002.

Mr. Neff was a member of Peninsula Assembly of God of Ocean Park. He was also very proud of 26 years of sobriety gained through AA. Foremost among his many interests were cars. He was a member of the Beach Barons Rod Club and the proud owner of a fully-restored 1956 Plymouth. He was also an avid reader of non-fiction books, particularly those about U.S. history and trains, and enjoyed traveling in his RV. He was a “people person” who always shared his wisdom and sage advise with others, sought to make the world a better place, and was truly one of a kind.

He and Gloria Johnson were married Dec. 5, 1986 and she survives. Also surviving are son Hans Neff of Portland; daughters Sharon Craig of Virginia Beach, Va., and Lisa Johnson of Vancouver; son Philip Doty of Las Vegas, Nev., daughters, Carol May of San Francisco, Jolene Duff of Ilwaco and Elaine Lafavre of St. Louis, Miss., and eight grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother Ralph in October of this year.

Family and friends gathered Tuesday, Dec. 28, at Penttila’s Chapel by The Sea in Long Beach to celebrate his life. A reception followed at the chapel. The family requests memorials to the Peninsula Assembly of God in care of Penttila’s Chapel, PO Box 417, Long Beach, WA 98631.