J. Henry Neale was educated at Amherst College and Harvard Law School.
In 1945, President of the United States Harry Truman named Neale General Counsel of the Navy, a post Neale held from November 1, 1945 until July 26, 1946.
Neale was awarded the Legion of Merit for his work as General Counsel of the Navy.
He remained affiliated with the Scarsdale National Bank and Trust Company for the next thirty years, eventually serving as its president and later chairman.
Neale died of a stroke at the White Plains Hospital on February 6, 1989.