June 11, 1925 July 11, 2012
Max F. Mills of Bend, Oregon, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Wednesday, July 11, 2012, at Hospice House of Bend. He was 87.
A public viewing will be held on Sunday, July 15, at 5:00 p.m., at Baird Funeral Home, located
at 2425 NE Tweet Place in Bend. A Recitation of the Rosary will follow at 7:00 p.m., at St. Francis Catholic Church in downtown Bend. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday, July 16, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., at St. Francis downtown followed by a graveside service with military honors at Pilot Butte Cemetery.
Max was born June 11, 1925, in Fullerton, Nebraska, to Jack and Mayme (Nisbet) Mills. He married Marie Murphy in 1950, they would have celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on July 15.
Max was a graduate of Bend High School, class of 1943. After graduating, he entered the U.S. Army serving at Camp Abbott, Oregon (now Sunriver, Oregon), where he assisted the Chief Storekeeper in "ration issue and sales." He filled daily organizational ration requirements, issued and checked supplies, maintained warehouse property records, assisted in the taking of inventory, and much more. He was honorably discharged in 1946.
Max was a lifetime member of the Bend Volunteer Fire Department, serving for over 21 years.
He also drove a truck for Hudson House Wholesale Grocery for 28 years. In 1974, Max had the pleasure of chauffeuring John Wayne during the making of the movie Rooster Cogburn. They remain friends eternally. Max worked for the Deschutes County Public Works Department as a Solid Waste Supervisor over landfills for 13 years before retiring in 1990.
Max was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved spending time with his friends and family.
Max is survived by his wife, Marie; sons, Max E. (wife, Lori), Marc, and Marvin (wife, Kristina).
Other survivors include seven grandchildren; Kristine, Kyle, Kelli, Jinny, Marc Jr., Brooke, and Brandon; and four great- grandchildren.
The family wishes to thank the respective staff at Harmony House, St. Charles, Bend Villa and Hospice House of Bend for their caring support.
Baird Funeral Home of Bend was honored to serve the family, (541) 382-0903 www.bairdmortuaries.com
Max F. Mills
