Richard Jay "Dick" Millman ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.--Richard Jay "Dick" Millman, 78, of St. Petersburg, Fla., originally of Chicago, Ill., left us on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. MEMORIAL SERVICE: A memorial service for Dick will be held on Sunday, April 19, at MIT; more details will be forthcoming. MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dick's honor to the Alzheimer's Associations at www.alz.org. Dick was born March 21, 1941, in Chicago to the late Fannie Hoffman and Abraham Millman. He graduated from Senn High School, Chicago Public Schools. Following his graduation, Dick attended MIT University where he was on the university rowing team and received his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, followed by a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering at Columbia University where he was a member of the U.S. Rowing Team and rowed in the Isreali Maccabiah Games. Dick retired as the president and chief executive officer of Bell Helicopter, Textron Inc. Through Dick's long career at Textron in the aerospace and defense industry, Dick served as: president of Textron Defense Systems; president of Textron Marine & Land Systems; executive in charge of Lycoming Engines; president of Textron Systems Corporation; president of HR Textron, Inc., a major supplier of Hydraulic and electromechanical control system, engines, components, and aircraft systems for NASA, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Sikorsky and McDonnell Douglas, among others. While at Textron, Inc. in Rhode Island, Dick served as vice president, Office of Chairman with strategic planning responsibilities, as well as vice president of Operations Services responsible for improving costs and efficiencies. Dick joined Textron after a 20-year career at Avco Corporation, which was acquired by Textron in 1986. Dick served on the NDIA Board of Trustees, the ARDAC Commanding General's Advisory Council, and the Executive Board of the Air Force /MIT/ Industry Lean Aerospace Initiative consortium. Dick enjoyed rowing, woodworking and sailing, but, most of all, he valued time spent with his family, especially his children and grandchildren. Papa Dick made certain to be at the birth of every grandchild. Dick was actively involved in mentoring MIT students and supporting the MIT rowing team. As a proud Conservative until the end, Dick believed in working hard for everything you want, personal growth, perseverance, and small government. His favorite sayings were: "We don't know what we don't know," which led him to believe that "No one of us is smarter than all of us." SURVIVORS: Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of over 30 years, Robin Millman, living in Orlando, Fla.; children, Amanda (George) Steinbarger of Knoxville, Tenn., Jill (Tom) Scanlon of Bedford, Mass., Cheryl (Evan) Morgenstein of Cary, N.C., Alissa (Jordan) Miller of Potomac, Ma., Dustin (Lauren) Coad, of Los Angeles, Calif.; grandchildren, Dillon, Ellesie, and Dekllan Steinbarger, Hayley and T.J. Scanlon, Kyle, Lindsay, Jack and Jocelyn Morgenstein, Jana, Sasha and Reese Miller, Sophie Belle and Stella Coad; as well as many extended family members and friends. ANDERSON-MCQUEEN N.E. ST. PETERSBURG FAMILY TRIBUTE CENTER St. Petersburg, Fla., 727-822-2059 View and sign guestbook at www.star-telegram.com/obituaries

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Star-Telegram on Mar. 8, 2020.