Joel Arthur Mills

Joel “Jack” Mills, 95, passed away peacefully in Elk Grove, CA, on Nov. 19, 2017. He was predeceased by his dear wife, Lillian, and son Glenn Price (Bette). Jack is survived by his daughter, Jewel Michelson (Philip), his grandchildren, Corey and Douglas Price, Jennifer Eting (Jessie) and Kathleen Ursin (Derek), as well as great-grandchildren Emily and Eamon McNab (Carrie), Lillian and Kaitlyn Eting, Benjamin and Lucas Ursin, and great-great-grandchildren Charlotte and Dominic McNab.

Jack was born in Rush Springs, OK, one of six children of William T. “Tom” Mills and Minnie Lee Crow. Orphaned in 1938 at 16, he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Rush Springs before he joined the Navy and was a “Tin Can Sailor” who proudly served as a torpedoman aboard the USS Fletcher DD445 in the Pacific during WWII from 1943-1945.

He married Lillian Smith in San Francisco in 1946 and lived there for 47 years before retiring to Sonoma. A nurseryman for most of his life, he joined Pat Casey at American Seed and Nursery Co. on 26th and Taraval, first as an employee and then owner until he retired in 1985.

Jack was a loyal SF Giants fan throughout his life, not even missing televised games during the 2017 season. He and Lillian enjoyed many cruises and road trips with friends, and often attended the annual Fletcher reunions, where he served as Historian for many years.

Jack will be missed by many and remembered for his wonderful sense of humor, which sustained him and entertained everyone he met during his long life. May he rest in peace.

Funeral services will be held in Sonoma at Duggan’s Mission Chapel at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 28th. Burial will be at Cypress Lawn Cemetery.

Read more about Jack's life in the Biography below.

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