Cornelius John Bezuyen

Cornelius John Bezuyen, 82, of Southmont, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, December 28, 2024. His wife Mary was by his side.

Neil was born on July 19, 1942, at home in Paterson, New Jersey, to Cornelius Bezuyen and Trina (Koningswood) Bezuyen. Forever known to his family as Sonny, he was raised in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and went on to marry his high school sweetheart, Mary Newman. The two met at a church youth group and began dating when Mary was 14 and Neil was 16.

After graduating Hawthorne High School in 1960, Neil was drafted into the Army National Guard where he would fulfill his required duties before going on to work at Alkon Corporation, Progressive Hydraulics Inc., and Shotmeyer Brothers before retiring in 2008. Neil was a faithful employee who developed close relationships with co-workers, many of whom he remained in contact with.

During his working years, Sonny was a family man whose life revolved around volunteering for any organizations his two sons were involved in. His appointments as Cub Master of Pack 29 and Assistant Scout Master of Troop 93 were the beginnings of his commitment to community service. Time also was spent on family trips to Hunter Mountain where he made many close friends with neighbors on Pine Lane. He also became a Corvette enthusiast and member of the All-American Corvette Club of Hackensack. Neil and Mary did plenty of traveling, including bike trips across the Netherlands (three), Vermont, and Virginia.

Neil retired to High Rock Lake, North Carolina, and made the most of his 15-plus years of retired life in this new, unfamiliar region of the country. A blurb in a local newspaper led him to a volunteer program at the North Carolina Zoo. It was at the zoo’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where he really hit his stride. He loved the animals and the new friends he made. After the pandemic, he assisted the zookeepers with private, behind-the-scenes tours. In total, he gave 14 years and 3,100 hours of volunteer service to the zoo and earned the Volunteer of the Year in 2013, the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Silver Level) in 2015, and several other honors.

In addition to his time at the zoo, he was active with the Davidson County Master Gardeners Association where he was involved in many beautification projects with a host of newly made acquaintances. Neil and Mary also hosted a weekly mahjong day every Tuesday with a group of special friends they made in their neighborhood.

Neil is survived by his loving wife Mary (Newman) Bezuyen, his son Christopher Bezuyen and his wife Georgianna (Skellie) Bezuyen, and his son Matthew Bezuyen and his partner Jenna Majka. He also leaves behind siblings Katherine Bezuyen, Doreen Rhodes, Ruth Ann Theodora, and John Bezuyen and many nieces and nephews.

He will forever be remembered as a quiet, kind man who gave to his community. A memorial celebration of his life will be planned for family in the near future. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The North Carolina Zoo Society, 4403 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC, 27205 or online at NCZoo.com.