Joyce
Neary was an important and effective member of the
petroleum industry for over fifty years. She was
born in Calgary and moved to Edmonton with her
family in 1941. By grade twelve, she quit school
to take a comptometer course that focused on back
office calculations. In 1951, she joined the Stewart
Drilling Company Limited, which drilled for other
companies such as Texaco all over Alberta. That same
year, Neary became a charter member of the Desk and
Derrick Club of Edmonton, an organization that
promotes the education and professional development
of individuals employed in the petroleum industries.
She moved on to Lory Oilfield Rentals Limited in
1957 until her retirement in 1990. During those
years, Neary took bookkeeping courses and learned on
the job about the equipment. Her bookkeeping
experience involved rig inventory and led her to
become an expert on the components of a rotary
drilling rig.
In 1987, Joyce Neary was
recognized as Canadian Oil Woman of the Year. She
was the first woman inducted into the Petroleum Hall
of Fame in 1997. Neary has served as Desk and
Derrick Club president twice and has held every
position at the local level. Today, Neary still
serves as club auditor. She is viewed as an
innovator who tackled and initiated new projects and
continues to have an impact in the petroleum
community.
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