| Gwen and Neal Peacock will officiate as grand marshals. |
Neal Lynn Peacock was born on Dec. 12, 1957 to Var Lynn and Zora Peacock of Huntington. He is the oldest of 11 children. He was raised in Huntington until he was 8 years old at which time his parents moved to Castle Dale. His father was a teacher at North Emery High School and Emery High School for 31 years. Neal’s father was also a beloved teacher by his students.
Neal attended Emery County schools and in 1976 graduated from Emery County High. From 1977-1979 he served a LDS Mission in New England. In 1979 he married Gwen Cook. Neal met Gwen at the local Lamb Day Celebration when they were 15 years old.
Neal graduated from the College of Eastern Utah in 1981, where he had been a member of the debate team. While debating for CEU, he won 72 trophies in two years.
Gwen was raised in Fountain Green. She graduated from North Sanpete High School and Snow College. She has a degree in early childhood education.
Neal and Gwen attended Brigham Young University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He was hired in the fall of 1983 to teach at Emery High School. He taught alongside his father for eight years.
When Neal and Gwen moved back to Castle Dale, Gwen operated her own pre-school for seven years and taught piano lessons for 12 years. She teaches water aerobics at the Castle Dale pool and only in the last three years has learned to swim.
In 1995, Neal received a masters degree in secondary education from Utah State University. While teaching at Emery for the past 21 years, he has directed 100 plays and musicals, started advanced placement programs, has taken first place in region speech and drama nine times, has taken second in state speech and second in state drama and has received the best contest play at state in 1988. He has been the student council advisor for 20 years and sterling scholar advisor for five years. He has coached football as an assistant for 16 years. The list goes on and on. He has been involved with the youth of this county all of his adult life. “He has bridged the gap between youth and adulthood for so many young people, this newspaper would be unable to hold their stories.”
Gwen has raised their five children and supported Neal in his many activites. She has chaperoned high school bus trips, has sewn costumes for plays, played the piano for musicals, and made it possible for Neal to do the things he has done.
Neal has also served in other types of community service for the residents of Emery County and Castle Dale. He has been a member of the Emery County Community Theater Board of Directors, Coauthor of House Bill HCR06, Limiting Wilderness Designation (1997), Governor’s Commission on Women and Families, Bishop for the LDS Church and is currently Mayor of Castle Dale City.
As we honor these fine examples of leaders for our children and grandchildren, friends and neighbors, we salute all teachers, coaches, advisers and all that serve our youth in all walks of life. We thank you all for the countless hours you give on behalf of our youth. The Fair Board chooses to honor Neal and Gwen as examples and great examples they are. There were so many others that were presented to the fair board that follow the same type of life and leadership that Neal and Gwen exemplify. To all of you we say thank you for being bridge builders.