Of Granada Hills, California, passed away June 1st, 2013 at the home of his daughter, Sara Bacon, in nearby Northridge after a long bout with cancer.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 26, 1928 to Alexander Mills and Mary (Minnie) Rutledge, he was brought to Santa Barbara at 22 months of age. He attended local schools from Hope Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High to Santa Barbara High School, Class of 1946.
Called from the U. S. Naval Reserve he served on the USS Lenawee, an attack transport ship, during the Korean War, after which he returned to school at Ventura Junior College from which he graduated as the top student of his class.
He then transferred to University of California Berkeley where he received his B.S. in mechanical engineering in June of 1957.
He joined Lockheed Aircraft the next month for a thirty-three career with them, primarily in the Engine Accessories Group of the Propulsion Department of the Flight Sciences Engineering Division. He worked on nearly all commercial and military aircraft programs during the period, conducting functional and performance analyses of propulsion, mechanical, electrical, and fluid accessory systems, including auxiliary and emergency power units and pneumatic, fuel, cooling, and fire protection systems.
He retired from Lockheed as a Research Specialist Senior on August 31, 1990.
Predeceased by his wife, Nancy (Novak), he is survived by a son, Clark; daughters Sara Bacon (Britt), Janice (Andy) and six grandchildren. He leaves three brothers, Rutledge A. and James G. of Santa Ynez Valley, and Howard A. Mills of Santa Barbara.
