Joseph J. Milliken

CENTERVILLE — Joseph J. "Jack" Milliken passed away Tuesday, after a brief illness.

Born on Nov. 3, 1934, in Sandwich, Jack grew up on the Cape and attended Henry T. Wing School. Drafted into the Army in 1957, he served in the U.S. and Germany.

Upon returning to the Cape, he went to work for Jack and Harry's Auto Parts store, holding a variety of positions on the Cape, in Northampton and North Adams, Syracuse, N.Y., Chicago, and northern New Jersey. Jack remained with the company for more than 48 years (although the company grew and changed names several times), and eventually rose to the position of corporate buyer before retiring in 1999.

He married the former Elizabeth Mary Dwyer of Waterbury, Conn., on Nov. 12, 1960. Elizabeth passed away July 23, 2006, after 45 years of marriage.

He is survived by his three children, William Milliken and his wife, Debbie of Martinez, Calif., Mary Edmonds and her husband, Craig of North Adams, and John "Jay" Milliken and his wife, Melanie of Willow Grove, Pa. He has five grandchildren, Alyssa and Ryan Edmonds, Alex, David and Nathan Milliken, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jack had a passion for singing and the theater that lasted throughout his life. He belonged to a number of different choirs and was often sought after to sing at weddings and other special occasions. He enjoyed both acting and directing, founded several small theater groups, including the Mossy Bank Players, and directed the Ecumenical Players annual Passion Play in North Adams for five years.

Jack met his future wife, Elizabeth Dwyer, when they played opposite each other in a Sandwich Players production of the Sliver Whistle in 1960.

His wake will be held at the Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 160 W. Main St., in Hyannis. Visiting hours are Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008, from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of Victory Parish, on Monday, Sept. 29, 2008, at 10 a.m. He will be buried in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, at 12:45 p.m.

Doane, Beal & Ames

508-775-0684