Career
Neary worked at the Argentia Naval Base until 1945 before moving to a job at the Dominion Steel Company on Bell Island. He helped unionize the office employees at the company and then served on the municipal council. He was active with the Newfoundland Federation of Labour serving as its secretary-treasurer and ran for office as a candidate for the Newfoundland Democratic Party in the 1959 provincial election
In 1962, he was elected to the Newfoundland House of Assembly as a Liberal and, as a backbench Master of Health Administration, took on the legal industry for charging excessive fees and sparked a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter.
In 1968 he was appointed to cabinet and was Minister of Public Services from 1969 to 1972 when the government was defeated.
After losing the Liberal nomination for his riding in 1975 he ran, and was elected as an Independent Liberal. Rejoining the party, he ran unsuccessfully for leader in 1977.
He retired from provincial politics in 1985. After his retirement he wrote a book about the German U-boat attack on Bell Island in the second World War, called Enemy on our Doorstep.
He also devoted s great deal of time to Bell Island and was instrumental in raising monuments, and to creating a museum.
