Allison Joan MacMillan

1938 - 2025

Allison Joan MacMillan

April 4, 1938 - August 25, 2025

Allison Joan MacMillan passed away peacefully on August 28, 2025. She leaves behind her children, Kim MacMillan (Scott Naurath), Scott (Carolyn "Jake") MacMillan, Melanie (Scott) Rodgers; her grandchildren, Thomas (Jennifer), Rachel, Ran (Becky), Becca (Cairen), Tori (Josh), Jake (Cara); and four great-grandchildren whom she loved beyond measure. She is survived by her two brothers, Norman (Barbara) Smith and Tony (Dianne) Smith. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph; and her brother, Gordon (Maggie) Smith. We will be forever grateful to Lily Abdalla who has cared for her for almost three years and is now truly part of our family. Allison was born in Ontario and celebrated her first birthday on The Queen Mary as she sailed with her parents to Kenya where she would live until she was 18 years old. She attended boarding school in Nairobi and excelled at sports, particularly track and field where she ran barefoot and held the school record for many years in the 100 yard dash. Once she completed high school, she was sent back to Canada to enter nursing school where she met the love of her life, Ralph MacMillan. After the birth of their first child, Allison stayed home to raise the children but always made time for friends and a cocktail. As the children grew she opened a store called The White Dove that specialized in nurses' uniforms and lingerie. In 1978 they moved their family to Richmond, Va., where Allison entered a new career in commercial real estate. In her downtime she continued her athletic pursuits playing tennis for Surreywood, soccer in club leagues, and took up golf in her 60's when she joined Meadowbrook Country Club. She even shot a hole in one on the 13th hole! She will be remembered for her colorful turn of phrase (many of you know what that means!), her disarming Swahili conversations with random strangers, her sense of style, and her bigger than life personality. Many of us recall her sliding down the bannister on the main stairway at the Jefferson Hotel on her 60th birthday. She certainly knew how to have a good time! We are sure that dad has convinced the angels at the Pearly Gates to let her in, so that they can dance together for all eternity. Oh, how she loved to dance with him.

A graveside service will be held on September 6, 12:30pm at Hollywood Cemetery followed by a reception at Meadowbrook Country Club. We will celebrate Nana with her favorite past time, an early Happy Hour! In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an orphaned elephant rescue organization in Kenya. Nana would be so pleased.