Dina Neal

Dina was born August 9, 1945 in Gorman Texas, attended Comanche public schools, thereafter the University of Texas at Arlington on a partial scholarship for academics and as a fire baton twirler.

She was married to Gary Greenwood, also a UTA student, in 1964. Dina worked on Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida during the Vietnam War while Gary served in the Air Force. She gave birth to her only child, Todd, in 1967.

Divorced in 1970, Dina returned to College at West Texas State University in Canyon. She graduated magna cum laude while working to support herself and son, then received her master's degree, graduating summa cum laude, from East Texas State University.

Dina instructed psychology, sociology, and human development at Vernon College for 35 years where she taught tens of thousands of students. She enjoyed the company of close friends in her backyard, travel, good wine, noir / espionage novels, and a menagerie of pets to include cats, two dogs, goats and ducks.

She attended Grace Episcopal Church in Vernon where she was a lay reader. Though not a licensed professional counselor she was known locally for the time she made for victims of domestic violence.

Those close to her will tell you of the time in the late sixties she tried to pick an argument with the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan at a rally near Tyndall and that she was one of the first landlords to rent a house south of Texas Street in Vernon to a black family. Dina was a lifetime Democrat and only broke ranks to vote for Reagan in 1980.

She was preceded in death by her father, CB Baxter in 1966, her mother Julia Jo Baxter in 1995, younger brother Cyrus in 2003, eldest sister Patricia Patton in 2018, and older sister Tonelia in 1952. She is survived by next-eldest sister Rebecca King of Amarillo and son Todd Greenwood of Fort Worth as well as many extended family members, close friends, and former students she held dear.