Robert(Bob Gene Mills

Funeral service for Robert Gene (Bob) Mills will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15,at First United Methodist Church Commerce. In lieu of visitation, a reception for family and friends will follow the service in the Family Life Center. Mr. Mills was born January 16, 1946 in Mt. Vernon, Texas, to Dale Norman Mills and Sarah Tittle Mills. He died March9,2014,at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler following an automobile accident. A 1964 graduate of Commerce High School, he graduated in 1968 from East Texas State University (now TAMU-C) WITH A BBA in finance. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity where he held various offices. In 1998, he earned a MS with a specialty in training and development from Texas A&M-Commerce. He married Anne Neaves on January 28,1968 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. They had two sons, Mason James Mills and Clayton Daniel Mills. During his career, he served as project manager and general contractor for several mechanical and general contruction companies. He held licenses for HVAC,plumbing, and medical gas plumbing. After his retirement, he operated DMP services, a plumbing and HVAC business named after his father, Dale Mills. Mr Mills served as director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Commerce where he took great interest in all the teams, coaches and players. He also trained after retirement as a tax preparer for H&R Block. Mr. Mills worked as a teacher for the Construction Education Foundation in Dallas where he taught HVAC courses. While working there, he was recognized with the Outstanding Instructor Achievement award. He served as a member of the board of directors for Meals on wheels, and as secretary and treasurer of SCRPT, the Senior center Resources and Public Transit Organization providing meals and transportation to citizens of Hunt County. He coached parks and recreation youth sports teams for many years and was active in Boy Scouting where he was known for his story telling ability on camping trips. He held several offices in the International Order of Oddfellows and served as an officer of the Texas Grand Lodge. He held several offices in the Sigma Chi fraternity during college. Mr. Mills was a lifelong member of the Methodist church and held one of the longest continued memberships in FUMC-Commerce where he joined as a child,participated in youth groups, and continued in membership throughout his life. He served the church in many official capacities and in his unofficial capacity kept the air conditioners, heaters and plumbing running for many years. Most recent, he was instrumental in developing the Commerce Community Garden and the Commerce Cares recycling organization. Survivors include his wife, Anne; his son Mason and wife Hope of Houston and their two sons, Dale and Oliver; his son Clay and wife Tara of Denton, and their son, Skyler, and daughter, Bonnie Rose; his sister,Elaine mills Eklund of Atlanta, Georgia; and niece, Melanie Mills of San Luis Obispo,California. He was preceded in death by his parents Dale and Sara, and his brother, Captain James Dale Mills,USMC. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, Commerce, and may be designated for the Bob Mills HVAC Memorial Fund, or the Food4kids program of the North Texas Food Bank.

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