Lila Joann McMillan

MCMILLAN, Lila Joann, 79, passed away February 13, 2011 at TMC Hospice, Tucson, Arizona. She was born August 15, 1931 to Raymond and Cora Etta (Studer) McMillan at the family farm near Randall, Kansas. She was baptized at an early age into the Vicksburg Baptist Church near Randall, Kansas. Joann graduated from Randall High School in 1949. She attended Emporia State Teachers College and Wichita State University, graduating in 1960. She taught school at Belleville Junior High School, Belleville, Kansas; rural school at Prairie Gym near Jamestown, Kansas; a Formoso, Kansas rural school; and Oatville near Wichita, Kansas. Joann was active in and loved playing sports most of her life. She played semi-pro basketball and was on a girls softball team while living in Wichita, Kansas. Moving to Tucson, Arizona in 1960, she taught in School District #1 for 18 years. Retiring from teaching in 1978 she became self-employed with arts and crafts, working with jewelry making and silver smithing, spending time teaching her crafts and attending craft fairs. She was a very people oriented person, never meeting a stranger. She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Rachel Hancock and five brothers, Harold, Wilbur, Max, Richard and Ronald McMillan. She is survived by one brother, Kenneth McMillan of Vancouver, Washington and two sisters, Jean Trussell of Delphos, Kansas and Susan (Ed) Buer of rural Norway, Kansas; 22 nieces and nephews and numerous great-nieces and nephews. Joann chose to donate her body to the UOFA WILLED BODY PROGRAM for medical research. There will be no service interment of ashes will be at a later date. Memorials may be made to the TMC Hospice, 5301 E. Grant Rd., Tucson, AZ 85712.