Obituary for Leon Daniel McMillan, Jr, LCDR (Ret)
Leo Daniel “Neff” McMillan, Jr.
Leo Daniel McMillan, Jr., LCDR USN, (Ret.), died Sunday, March 26, 2017 in Tallahassee. He was 91 years old.
Services will be Thursday, March 30th at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy. Visitation with the family will be held in the church parlor one hour prior to the service.
Neff, as he was affectionately known to friends and family, was born in Quincy, FL on March 14, 1926 to Leo D. McMillan, Sr. and Alice Davidson McMillan. He grew up in Quincy and graduated from Gadsden County High School, class of 1943.
Neff joined the Navy two weeks after high school graduation, and was commissioned Ensign in 1945 and assigned to the USS Hanson, a radar picket ship. The Hanson was deployed to Japan and in the summer of 1946 spent three months in China at Tsingtao off the Yellow Sea. Following Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer’s School he received orders to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp LeJeune, NC. He participated in the landing at Wonsan, Korea and saw active combat duty during the early months of the Korean War.
During his Naval career he served on destroyers USS Hanson and the USS Caperton, the aircraft carrier USS Bennington, and as assistant weapons officer on the guided missile cruiser USS Providence, the Flagship of the 7th Fleet. He participated in “Exercise Mainbrace,” the first large-scale NATO sea exercise in 1952, stopping in England, Scotland, Norway and the Netherlands. In 1956 he was ordered to Japan and served as Communications Officer at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka. In 1958 he attended Naval Post-graduate School in Monterey, CA specializing in ordnance engineering of guided missiles. In 1962 he was again stationed in Japan where he and his young family were home quartered at Yokohama. He retired from the Navy on June 30, 1965 as Lieutenant Commander after 22 years of active service.
Following his military career the family moved to Cape Coral, FL where he was the area representative for GBS, a small business accounting and tax service. He returned to Quincy and following in his father’s footsteps, worked at the Quincy State Bank, retiring as bank Vice-President after 19 years.
He was a life-long member of the First Presbyterian Church Quincy and served in many capacities including Deacon and Elder. He attended Church faithfully, never missing a day, unless illness prevented him from doing so. Always a Southern Gentleman, he was happiest attending Church on Sunday followed by a fried chicken dinner.
He enjoyed many happy years of retirement, and became somewhat of a legend, often seen pulling weeds in his front yard on King Street, dressed in his Navy “Whites.” He and wife Deborah purchased a summer home at Beech Mountain, NC where they spent twenty seasons enjoying the cool mountain air in the company of the good friends they made there.
He is survived by son Leo D. McMillan III (Dawn) of Quincy, daughter Lynne Gwaltney of Cairo, GA, step-sons James William Hill (John Shultz), and Richard Hill of Atlanta, GA; grandsons Evan Connell Jr (Laura) of Fort Myers, FL, Daniel McMillan of Tampa, FL, Nicolas Hill (Kenan), Philip Hill (Jessica) of Atlanta, GA; great-granddaughters Shayla Connell and Gracie Connell of Ft. Myers, FL; cousin E.J. Perry III (Linda) of Bainbridge, GA. He is pre-deceased by his parents and wives Betty D. McMillan and Deborah G. McMillan, and daughter-in-law Penny Hill.
The family is forever grateful for the loving and compassionate care of Cora Spencer, Britney Johnson, Jeanette Spooner, Shonda Pruitt, Joyce McNealy, Minnie Bryant, Shirley Sheffield, Antionette Hinson, and the late Emma Baker.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, Florida.
Charles McClellan Funeral Home Quincy, FL, 850-627-7677, is in charge of arrangements.
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Leo Daniel McMillan, Jr., LCDR USN, (Ret.), died Sunday, March 26, 2017 in Tallahassee. He was 91 years old.
Services will be Thursday, March 30th at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy. Visitation with the family will be held in the church parlor one hour prior to the service.
Neff, as he was affectionately known to friends and family, was born in Quincy, FL on March 14, 1926 to Leo D. McMillan, Sr. and Alice Davidson McMillan. He grew up in Quincy and graduated from Gadsden County High School, class of 1943.
Neff joined the Navy two weeks after high school graduation, and was commissioned Ensign in 1945 and assigned to the USS Hanson, a radar picket ship. The Hanson was deployed to Japan and in the summer of 1946 spent three months in China at Tsingtao off the Yellow Sea. Following Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer’s School he received orders to the 2nd Marine Division at Camp LeJeune, NC. He participated in the landing at Wonsan, Korea and saw active combat duty during the early months of the Korean War.
During his Naval career he served on destroyers USS Hanson and the USS Caperton, the aircraft carrier USS Bennington, and as assistant weapons officer on the guided missile cruiser USS Providence, the Flagship of the 7th Fleet. He participated in “Exercise Mainbrace,” the first large-scale NATO sea exercise in 1952, stopping in England, Scotland, Norway and the Netherlands. In 1956 he was ordered to Japan and served as Communications Officer at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka. In 1958 he attended Naval Post-graduate School in Monterey, CA specializing in ordnance engineering of guided missiles. In 1962 he was again stationed in Japan where he and his young family were home quartered at Yokohama. He retired from the Navy on June 30, 1965 as Lieutenant Commander after 22 years of active service.
Following his military career the family moved to Cape Coral, FL where he was the area representative for GBS, a small business accounting and tax service. He returned to Quincy and following in his father’s footsteps, worked at the Quincy State Bank, retiring as bank Vice-President after 19 years.
He was a life-long member of the First Presbyterian Church Quincy and served in many capacities including Deacon and Elder. He attended Church faithfully, never missing a day, unless illness prevented him from doing so. Always a Southern Gentleman, he was happiest attending Church on Sunday followed by a fried chicken dinner.
He enjoyed many happy years of retirement, and became somewhat of a legend, often seen pulling weeds in his front yard on King Street, dressed in his Navy “Whites.” He and wife Deborah purchased a summer home at Beech Mountain, NC where they spent twenty seasons enjoying the cool mountain air in the company of the good friends they made there.
He is survived by son Leo D. McMillan III (Dawn) of Quincy, daughter Lynne Gwaltney of Cairo, GA, step-sons James William Hill (John Shultz), and Richard Hill of Atlanta, GA; grandsons Evan Connell Jr (Laura) of Fort Myers, FL, Daniel McMillan of Tampa, FL, Nicolas Hill (Kenan), Philip Hill (Jessica) of Atlanta, GA; great-granddaughters Shayla Connell and Gracie Connell of Ft. Myers, FL; cousin E.J. Perry III (Linda) of Bainbridge, GA. He is pre-deceased by his parents and wives Betty D. McMillan and Deborah G. McMillan, and daughter-in-law Penny Hill.
The family is forever grateful for the loving and compassionate care of Cora Spencer, Britney Johnson, Jeanette Spooner, Shonda Pruitt, Joyce McNealy, Minnie Bryant, Shirley Sheffield, Antionette Hinson, and the late Emma Baker.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, Florida.
Charles McClellan Funeral Home Quincy, FL, 850-627-7677, is in charge of arrangements.
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