Obituary
Dr. Bruce R. Mills, 12/3/1927 to 7/2/2019
With love and sadness we announce that our beloved father, Dr. Bruce R. Mills took his final journey on July 2, 2019 after 91 and 1/2 years of a life well lived. He died peacefully in his home on Canandaigua Lake with family at his side. He will be fondly remembered and sorely missed.
Dr. Mills was born December 3, 1927 in Schenectady, NY, the son of the late Bruce M. Mills and Irene W. Mills Aldworth. He graduated from Nott Terrace High School and soon enlisted in the U. S. Army just as World War II was ending. After completing his service he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pre-Medicine from the University of Rochester, where he met Jane Milne, his future wife and the mother of his children. He graduated from Albany Medical College in 1955. He served his medical residency at the Dartmouth College Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Hanover, NH.
Dr. Mills and his young family came to Gorham, NY in 1958 as the result of a recruitment effort by the villages of Gorham, Stanley, and Hall to find a new doctor. He served the community tirelessly for 35 years, first as a General Practitioner, and later being among the first group of doctors to be board certified in the newly recognized specialty as a Family Practitioner. He retired from medicine in 1993. Dr. Mills was an Honorary Member of the Medical Staff of F.F. Thompson Hospital where he had treated so many patients throughout the years of his practice. He was a member and former President of the Ontario County Medical Society. He also served as Health Officer for the Town of Gorham.
Dr. Mills had many passions in addition to his career. He was an avid sailor, both on “soft” water and on ice, and a long standing member and former Officer of the Canandaigua Yacht Club. He enjoyed target shooting and hunting all manner of game since childhood. He was a staunch supporter of gun rights, and the skills necessary to properly exercise those rights. For many years he taught the Hunter Safety classes that were required for aspiring young hunters to receive their first permit. He was a longtime member of the Canandaigua Sportsman’s Club and the National Rifle Association.
Dr. Mills is survived by one daughter, Janet Mills (Donald) Wong of Glen Rock, NJ; one son, Daniel B. (Wendy Molin) Mills of Santa Cruz, CA; grandchildren, Courtney Wong, David (Kathryn Chiarelli) Wong, Alec Mills, Benjamin Nechmad and Marc Nechmad; and six nieces and nephews.
Dr. Mills was predeceased by his wife, Jane Milne Mills in 1990; his oldest son, Bruce Edward Mills in 2018; and his partner later in life, Dr. Lois Eberhardt Brennan in 2016.
A private burial was held in Gorham Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Canandaigua Yacht Club in Canandaigua, NY at 5 pm on Friday, September 6th, 2019. Memorial contributions may be made to the Jane Milne Mills Memorial Scholarship Fund to benefit nursing students, c/o Finger Lakes Community College Foundation, Inc., 3325 Marvin Sands Dr., Canandaigua, NY 14424, or at give.flcc.edu. You may visit www.kenperkinsfuneralhome.com to send a message of condolence to the family.