Wade Mills

Wade Mills, 89, of Whitehall, passed away on Friday, January 20, 2023. He grew up in Inez, Kentucky on a Farm with a very large family, and helped as much as he could all his family. Growing up he was a family man working hard. Made time to play catch and show me how to shoot Basketball.

He is preceded in death by parents Leonard Mills and Virgie Davis Mills; siblings Hestel Mills, William Merman Mills, Russell Mills, Ovie Mills, Oliver Mills, Evelyn Mills, Katherine Mills, Clotene Mills and Verneda Fuller.

He is survived by brother Cletis Mills, son Chris Mills and daughter April Mills, 7 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews; many more extended family and friends.

Wade loved playing Basketball and  loved the Kentucky Wildcats and then Boston Celtics because of Larry Bird.  He and all his brothers served the United States in different military branches. One giving his life in Germany. He was a Marine, who was in the machine gun battalion, then on to a drill Sergeant E4.

When he came home to Kentucky, he ended up in the state of Washington with his brother Russell. Then ended up with Clete in Columbus Ohio looking for work. He started with COTA and was there 35 or so years.  

Then met his wife while driving the bus. She took the bus to teach her 3rd grade class, until she stayed home with her kids.

At 50 he had a midlife thing and bought a motorcycle and he took 3 days to tell his wife he got it. Then he decided to take up running. He ran 6... 26 mile marathons after he turned 50 and before he turned 55.

He always seemed to do things out of the box, so to speak. Except he had the same job it seemed forever until he retired and helped raise some grandkids.

He always kept himself busy doing something. Hard-willed, Stubborn, and seemed to always have that Marine in him.

He never gave up, until his body could just not keep up with him! He will truly be missed by all who knew him.

His family will receive friends on Friday, January 27, from 11am-Noon at Cotner Funeral Home, 7369 East Main Street, Reynoldsburg, Ohio, with his service to begin at noon. Graveside service to follow at 3pm at Oakwood Cemetery, Corning, Ohio. 

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