Richard Mills

Dick passed away on Friday, September 18, 2015, surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, and friends after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, JoAnne; daughter Malise Fletcher (Lynda) of Taylor Lake Village; two sons Ambassador Richard M. Mills, Jr. (Leigh) of Yerevan in Armenia and Randolph (Sharon) of Saint Peters, Missouri; and five grandchildren Casey, Ryan, Nathan, Douglas, and Zachary.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Don Mills and Berta Mills Cazes, where he attended public school; upon graduation, Dick joined the U.S. Navy and served in Puerto Rico. Following his honorable discharge from the military, he returned to New Orleans and entered Tulane University, where he graduated in 1951 as the Valedictorian of the Commerce and Business School, receiving several awards: Delta Sigma Pi award, Wall Street Journal award, Society of Louisiana CPA award for senior with highest GPA, and was presented a gold key as a member serving as Treasurer of the Honor Board and as the Treasurer of Delta Sigma Pi. Dick received his CPA certificate in 1951 and went to work for Arthur Anderson (AA) in their Chicago office.

Shortly after, a family death caused him to return to New Orleans to work for Shell Oil Company, where he met his wife, JoAnne. Eventually, he was hired by several former colleagues from AA to work for American Natural Resources (ANR) in Detroit, Michigan before finally moving to Houston to assume the role of Treasurer of the ANR Oil and Gas Production Company, where he worked until his retirement. Following his retirement, Dick worked several years for a management consultant firm, served his community of Taylor Lake Village, and travelled with his wife JoAnne.

Among his contributions to the community was his service on the water board, as Treasurer of the Homeowners Association in the Timber Cove subdivision, and on the city council and as Treasurer of Taylor Lake Village. He also served Webster Presbyterian Church as Treasurer for almost a decade and as Treasurer of Meals on Wheels in the Clear Lake area. His travels with his wife, JoAnne, included travels to East Asia and a ten month vacation through Western Europe and the British Isles. They later returned to tour the Scandinavian countries and Russia. The other highlight of his life was spending time with his grandchildren and following their activities.

Throughout his life, his favorite moment of the day was when he arrived home to be with his wife and children. Friends and family will remember Dick as a man who cared deeply about his family and community and was completely honest throughout his business dealings and personal life.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate his life at a memorial service at Webster Presbyterian Church, 201 Nasa Road 1, Webster, Texas 77598, on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.; luncheon reception to follow at the church. For those wishing to make a memorial contribution, donations may be sent to Webster Presbyterian Church.