ALEXANDER "ALEC" MACMILLAN

1940 - 2025

MACMILLAN, Alexander "Alec" Lifelong Hingham resident and passionate preservationist Age 84, of Hingham, died peacefully at home with his family by his side, on August 20, 2025. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on September 28, 1940, to Stuart and Margaret (McCorkle) Macmillan, Alec graduated from Hingham High School, Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School. He spent his career between private practice and government positions, including Assistant Attorney General, Chair of the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission and Chair of the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission. Alec dedicated his life to the preservation of Hingham, serving in leadership roles on numerous boards and committees. As Head of the Hingham Historical Commission, he oversaw creation of several local and National Register Historic Districts and drafted a new Historic District bylaw, and as President of the Hingham Historical Society he published and republished several histories of the Town. For nearly two decades, he represented Hingham in negotiations around the proposed restoration of the Greenbush rail line, eventually persuading the Governor and Secretary of Transportation to build a tunnel under Hingham Square to reduce adverse impacts. In 2009, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Hingham Journal, earning the title, "The Man Who Saved the Square." Sports were the other constant in Alec's life. Ted Williams and Bill Russell were his greatest heroes, and as a Michigan man he delighted in Tom Brady's ascendance. For more than 50 years, he held season tickets to Harvard Football games; and he was an avid fan of his children's and grandchildren's athletic pursuits. A lifelong summer resident of Silver Lake, NH, Alec loved spending time outdoors hiking, swimming in lakes and rivers, chopping down trees and hosting visitors. He was predeceased by his parents; his brothers, Andrew and Anthony; and his sister, Jean (Macmillan) Bennion. Alec is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sunny (Gould); their daughter, Kate McFarlane (James); two children from a previous marriage, Douglas (Tanya) and Anne Deems (David); and his five beloved grandchildren, Alex, Andrew, Dasha, Maggie and Tad. A Memorial Service will be held at 11a.m., at the Old Ship Meeting House, 90 Main Street, Hingham, MA 02043, on Saturday, October 11. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to organizations dear to Alec such as the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Hingham Historical Society, or the Trustees of Reservations, or the charity of your choice. A full obituary can be found at www.downingchapel.com

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