Richard “Rich” Douglas Milliman, 78, of Tekonsha passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at his home.
A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at the Union United Church of Christ of Tekonsha, 206 W Randall St, Tekonsha, MI 49092. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Tekonsha.
A gathering of family and friends will take place Tuesday, February 27, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 1:00 p.m., also at the church.
The family is being served by Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation.
Rich was born to Kenneth and Harriette (Hodges) Milliman on January 11, 1946, in Battle Creek, Michigan. He resided in Tekonsha all of his life. He graduated from Tekonsha High School with the Class of 1964.
After graduation, Richard attended Ferris State University and Northern Michigan University prior to being drafted to the United States Army. Richard served honorably for two years, which included for our country’s Vietnam War efforts. Richard met many lifelong friends in the Army that he kept in contact with throughout his life. He cherished his annual trip to Kokomo, Indiana for the weeklong Vietnam Veteran Rally with his friends and fellow veterans.
Richard married Lynette Dowding on June 28, 1975 and they had two children together, Kenneth and Toni. Richard would often be found in the bleachers or the ball field supporting Ken and Toni’s athletic and extracurricular activities. This continued throughout his life as he continued to support many nieces, nephews, and his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Ryan.
Richard worked for the Michigan Department of Corrections, which he retired from in 2007 after 22 years of service to the state. Prior to his years working for the state, he was an independent insurance agent with Lynette for 11 years. While working in corrections and as an insurance agent, he met many friends.
Richard was a road warrior who loved road trips. Whether it was traveling to the cabin in Mesick and Lovells, Michigan, Jensen Beach, Florida, or the tin shack in the Upper Peninsula, he could often be found with a carload of family and friends. He cherished seeing new places and the good times that were spent on the road.
Richard is survived by his wife Lynette; his son, Kenneth (Kelly) Millman; his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Ryan; his sisters Hannah Trine, Nancy Foust; his many nieces and nephews; his sisters-in-law, Nan (Jack) Bellefy and Polly (Dan) Brinker; his brother-in-law, Matt Dowding; and his mother-in-law, Jeanne Dowding.
Preceding Richard in death are his parents and his daughter, Toni Milliman, in 1999.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Veterans Honor Flight Network, Box L-4016, Columbus, OH 43260-4016, https://www.honorflight.org/donate/ or to the Humane Society of South Central Michigan, 2500 Watkins Rd, Battle Creek, MI, 49015.
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