Joyce Neary

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.