MOUNT VERNON – Leland Bruce Mills, 94, of Mount Vernon, died on Dec. 31, 2020, with his loving wife of 68 years, Mary Marguerite Mills, by his side. He was born on Dec. 19, 1926, to Isaac “Newt” and Ina Mills in Newark.
Bruce, as he was known to his many relatives and friends, was a true renaissance man who loved to learn, create and invent. He grew up on his family’s farm in Clay Township near Bladensburg, which was purchased from a Revolutionary War veteran by his early pioneer ancestors. He graduated from Bladensburg High School in 1944, where he was fondly remembered by his classmates for his quick wit and pranks. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served during World War II as a mechanic in the Allied occupation of Japan, Asiatic-Pacific Theatre, and received a medal for his excellent marksman skills.
After leaving the military, he landed a job at the Mount Vernon Bridge Company, a fabrication firm which had the contract to design St. John’s Arena on The Ohio State University campus. Without formal engineering or drafting training, Bruce was part of the team that designed the project’s steel frame.
Later, he worked at Rockwell International for 30 years, where he ran a machine shop and was dispatched by the company to its customers’ factories in the United States and Canada during his career to trouble-shoot and fix axle problems. A lifelong tinkerer and welder, Bruce could fix anything, much to the delight of his family and friends. His home was a revolving door of neighbors’ and relatives’ broken appliances and gadgets. His love of machines continued throughout his life. One of his major accomplishments after retirement was to build a pickup truck from scratch, starting with the engine.
An avid reader throughout his life, Bruce always had a book, newspaper or magazine in his hands — up until a few days before he died. He never tired of learning and adventure, passions that he passed on to his five children. While raising their family, Bruce and Marguerite traveled extensively throughout the United States, visiting nearly 40 states with their children. After retirement, he continued his love of travel with trips abroad and to visit his family.
Bruce will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband and father, who delighted his kids and grandkids with his drawings, antics and jokes (he would always start laughing before he could deliver the punch line). Family favorites included tying large tire innertubes to his tractor and giving his kids a spin on the frozen family pond, or scooping them up in the scoop of his bulldozer. The highlight of many family reunions and gatherings was Bruce riding a bicycle backward.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Linda Cullison (Louis) of Tucson, Arizona, Cheryl Feasel (Dave) of Mount Vernon and Savannah, Georgia, Sarah Mills Bacha (James) of Columbus, Ronald Mills (Anne) of Tampa, Florida, and Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, and Laura Mills (Ian) of Miami, Florida; grandchildren, Bret Cullison, Amanda Cullison, Megan Erwin, Michael Feasel, William Bacha, Henry Bacha, Shelby Mills, Dylan Mills and Emma Lawrence; and great-grandchildren Trevor Cullison, Tyler Cullison and Braden Erwin.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Ross E. Mills.
The family expresses its deepest gratitude to the staff of the Living Center in Mount Vernon, where Bruce and Marguerite lived in recent years, for their unparalleled compassion, care and love; especially over the past several months. While isolated from beloved family during much of 2020, they became surrogate family members. Their love for Bruce will never be forgotten. The family would also like to thank friends at Faith Baptist Church in Mount Vernon, where Bruce and Marguerite were members for many years, for their prayers and support.
A memorial service will be held later this year. Condolences can be sent to the Mills Family, c/o Marguerite Mills; The Living Center; 201 N. Main St., #105; Mount Vernon, OH 43050.
Memorial contributions may be sent to Honor Flight (honorflight.org), which transports America’s veterans to Washington, D.C, to visit the memorials that honor their service. (One of Bruce’s fondest memories of his later years was an Honor Flight trip to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall.)
The Lasater Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for the Mills family. Please visit www.lasaterfuneralhomes.com.
