Richard D. 'Dick' Mills

Richard D. “Dick” Mills, 81, of Champaign, passed away at 6:30 pm on Friday, September 26, 2014, at his residence. He was born April 9, 1933 in Robinson Illinois, the son of Clarence and Dorrice Dowell Mills. Richard married Sharon Lascelles on January 15, 1966 in Havana, Illinois. She survives. Other survivors include his son, Richard L. Mills of Chicago; daughter, Robin (Steve) Mayfield of Clinton; daughter-in-law, Patricia Mills of Savoy; and 5 grandchildren, Camila, Ryan, and Cristina Mills, all of Savoy and Brianna and Courtney Mayfield of Clinton, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Roberta Rendfeld and brother-in-law, Robert Rendfeld. Dick graduated from Springfield High School in 1951, and then served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War from 1952 to 1956. After serving his country, he enrolled in the School of Journalism at the University of Illinois, graduating in 1959. Dick was the General Manager and Vice President of C & U Poster Advertising Company for 20 years, from 1981 to 2001. In 1986, he was instrumental in petitioning Unit #4 Schools to adopt soccer as a varsity sport in Champaign Central, Centennial, and Urbana High Schools. He was a member of the Savoy United Methodist Church, and was an avid Illini sports fan as well as a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Richard D. Mills will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, October 5th, 2014 at the Savoy United Methodist Church, 3002 W Old Church Road, Champaign, Illinois. Pastor Marc Brown will be officiating services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Champaign County Humane Society. Sunset Funeral Home, Champaign-Urbana Chapel is assisting the Mills family with arrangements. Please join Dicks family in sharing memories and photos of his life on his tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.