Neil John Unger passed away suddenly at Danbury Hospital on April 3.

Neil was born in Danbury Hospital to Dorothy and Louis Unger and raised in Newtown with his brother and three sisters.

Neil graduated the accelerated Capsule Program at Fairfield Preparatory School, after which he joined the Coast Guard and served two tours of duty. He attended Western Connecticut State University, receiving his degree in electrical engineering. He married Ann Marie Pezzulo and they raised their daughter, Christine, and son, Joseph, in the home he built in Newtown.

Neil had an aptitude for engineering. Just like his dad, he loved to take things apart and find out why they were working (or not), whether mechanical or electronic. Neil started at Data Switch Corporation in 1983 as technical specialist and moved up to design engineer, working on IBM channel switching devices and fiber optic products. He co-developed and was awarded patents in 1995 for an optical fiber connection control system and in 1999 for channel-to-channel computer system coupling. He was with General Signal Networks for four years as director of emerging technology and with Inrange Technologies Corp as manager of the enterprise application integration division. Following opportunity, he moved to Texas to work for Centric Solutions, developing and marketing data center infrastructure products. Returning to Connecticut in 2010, he started his own company, InfoStream LLC, where he worked as a contractor for IBM designing identification products for the IBM data centers.

In 2012, he reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Susan Nalley; they were married in 2015.

Neil was devoted to his family. He spent many hours with his father on projects from home repair to rebuilding his grandmother’s ‘39 Ford woody wagon. He loved the sound of laughter coming from his children and his nieces and nephews playing together, and he loved to host large family gatherings. When his son joined the Navy, and when his daughter started her own family, he could not have been more proud.

Neil loved life and the outdoors. He got the love of camping from his father, who would bundle the family in the travel trailer and drive across country visiting national parks (Yellowstone was Neil’s favorite). He got his pilot’s license and enjoyed circling the house on training flights, much to the delight of his young family. He bought his own travel trailer and took his own family across country visiting national parks. He was also an avid motorcycle rider, getting Susan her own motorcycle and introducing her to his love of the national parks by trailering the bikes for vacations to Shenandoah and Acadia.

Neil is survived by his wife, Susan; his daughter Christine Malach (husband Michael) and their three daughters, Makayla, Ceanna, and Lila, of Stamford; his son Joseph Unger, Army Specialist stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia; his brother, Louis Anthony “Tony” Unger III (wife Karen), of Beales, Maine; and his sisters Ellen Curran (husband Tom) of Newtown and Kathy Holt of Mansfield; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his sister Jane, his father, Louis, and his mother, Dorothy.

A private celebration of life will be held by the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the FAITH (Food Assistance Immediate Temporary Help) Food Pantry of Newtown, PO Box 53 Newtown CT 06470

Please make the check payable to Faith Food Pantry of Newtown, Inc.

Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown is serving the family. To leave an online condolence, visit honanfh.com.