The eldest child of James W. and Edith Mantell McMillion, he was the husband of Irene and father of five children -- four sons and a daughter. Born on Christmas Eve Day in 1913 in Matewan, West Virginia, he spent his earlier boyhood years on a farm in Urbanna, Virginia with his two younger siblings
After his parents separated during his teens, he moved with his mother to Michigan, where he later met and married Rowena Roche. He'd worked various odd jobs there including bus and truck driving, and eventually became a foreman with Allison Aircraft in Detroit. They had three sons, then following World War II and their divorce, by the 1950's he had returned to the east coast. There he'd met and married Elois Walstrom, the mother of his fourth son, David McMillion. Unfortunately that marriage was also troubled; and he later took vows a third (and final) time to Irene Carpenter of Baltimore. He was employed 27 years as a tractor trailer driver with Anchor Motor Freight at their Baltimore, Maryland terminal, from which he retired during the summer of 1976.
He then relocated with his wife, daughter and eldest stepdaughter to southeastern North Carolina, which he had discovered during his frequent travels truck driving and fondly referred to as "God's Country". Never one to 'let grass grow under his feet' (as he was often humorously teased in those days), he kept active by raising chickens and serving as caretaker of the Dr. J. Arthur Dosher house and estate for longtime fellow Southport residents George and Charlotte "Lottie" Lindner and George's sister Marguerite Forman of St. James, New York. He also hauled boats part time for the local marine shop.
However, during most of the 1980s he was best known in the community as "Mac," the taxicab driver for Oak Island Cab of Yaupon Beach. During these years he had the opportunity of meeting many interesting, important and influential people, including a reporter from TIME magazine who had interviewed him regarding the local filming of Crimes of the Heart (with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek) in Southport and Caswell Beach. The resulting (though brief) published article led to an invitation to appear on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which although flattering he respectfully declined for personal reasons.
He was very proud of what he referred to as his "chauffeur's" (commercial) driving license and it was difficult for him to give it up; but by the late 1980s his declining health finally brought him into full retirement. Having more free time on his hands, he turned his attentions to more personal and spiritual pursuits, during which he'd actively attended Cape Fear Missionary Alliance Church and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in October of 1989. He made one last trip back to Virginia with a close friend to visit his old boyhood farm and spend time with extended family and friends over Christmas. Following his return his health began to deteriorate more sharply; and having spent most of February and March of 1991 in and out of the hospital he passed away on the morning of April 22nd of congestive heart failure and related complications.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brothers Henry McMillion, who died in combat during WWII and Eugene McMillion Sr. who passed away in January of 1978; also an infant granddaughter, Sarah. Surviving were his wife Irene of Baltimore, MD; his youngest daughter; four sons, James "Jimmy" McMillion III and his wife Juanita, also of Southport; two sons of Wayne County, Michigan, and Rev. David E. McMillion (of Flames of Revival Ministries) in Chicago, Illinois; a sister, Lucy Ellen Prchal and her husband Joe of Parkville, MD; three stepchildren, Elaine Ward of Winnabow, NC; along with another stepdaughter and stepson also of Baltimore; one nephew of Greenville, SC; a niece and her family of New Castle, Delaware; his brother-in-law, Norman Currie and wife of Boiling Spring Lakes, along with many grandchildren and other extended family members.
His many hobbies during his working and early retirement years included traveling, camping, photography, bowling, woodworking, collectibles, antiques, electronics, genealogical research, livestock, inventions, and serving as president and secretary of the Teamsters local FCU #557 in Baltimore.
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After his parents separated during his teens, he moved with his mother to Michigan, where he later met and married Rowena Roche. He'd worked various odd jobs there including bus and truck driving, and eventually became a foreman with Allison Aircraft in Detroit. They had three sons, then following World War II and their divorce, by the 1950's he had returned to the east coast. There he'd met and married Elois Walstrom, the mother of his fourth son, David McMillion. Unfortunately that marriage was also troubled; and he later took vows a third (and final) time to Irene Carpenter of Baltimore. He was employed 27 years as a tractor trailer driver with Anchor Motor Freight at their Baltimore, Maryland terminal, from which he retired during the summer of 1976.
He then relocated with his wife, daughter and eldest stepdaughter to southeastern North Carolina, which he had discovered during his frequent travels truck driving and fondly referred to as "God's Country". Never one to 'let grass grow under his feet' (as he was often humorously teased in those days), he kept active by raising chickens and serving as caretaker of the Dr. J. Arthur Dosher house and estate for longtime fellow Southport residents George and Charlotte "Lottie" Lindner and George's sister Marguerite Forman of St. James, New York. He also hauled boats part time for the local marine shop.
However, during most of the 1980s he was best known in the community as "Mac," the taxicab driver for Oak Island Cab of Yaupon Beach. During these years he had the opportunity of meeting many interesting, important and influential people, including a reporter from TIME magazine who had interviewed him regarding the local filming of Crimes of the Heart (with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek) in Southport and Caswell Beach. The resulting (though brief) published article led to an invitation to appear on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which although flattering he respectfully declined for personal reasons.
He was very proud of what he referred to as his "chauffeur's" (commercial) driving license and it was difficult for him to give it up; but by the late 1980s his declining health finally brought him into full retirement. Having more free time on his hands, he turned his attentions to more personal and spiritual pursuits, during which he'd actively attended Cape Fear Missionary Alliance Church and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in October of 1989. He made one last trip back to Virginia with a close friend to visit his old boyhood farm and spend time with extended family and friends over Christmas. Following his return his health began to deteriorate more sharply; and having spent most of February and March of 1991 in and out of the hospital he passed away on the morning of April 22nd of congestive heart failure and related complications.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brothers Henry McMillion, who died in combat during WWII and Eugene McMillion Sr. who passed away in January of 1978; also an infant granddaughter, Sarah. Surviving were his wife Irene of Baltimore, MD; his youngest daughter; four sons, James "Jimmy" McMillion III and his wife Juanita, also of Southport; two sons of Wayne County, Michigan, and Rev. David E. McMillion (of Flames of Revival Ministries) in Chicago, Illinois; a sister, Lucy Ellen Prchal and her husband Joe of Parkville, MD; three stepchildren, Elaine Ward of Winnabow, NC; along with another stepdaughter and stepson also of Baltimore; one nephew of Greenville, SC; a niece and her family of New Castle, Delaware; his brother-in-law, Norman Currie and wife of Boiling Spring Lakes, along with many grandchildren and other extended family members.
His many hobbies during his working and early retirement years included traveling, camping, photography, bowling, woodworking, collectibles, antiques, electronics, genealogical research, livestock, inventions, and serving as president and secretary of the Teamsters local FCU #557 in Baltimore.
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The eldest child of James W. and Edith Mantell McMillion, he was the husband of Irene and father of five children -- four sons and a daughter. Born on Christmas Eve Day in 1913 in Matewan, West Virginia, he spent his earlier boyhood years on a farm in Urbanna, Virginia with his two younger siblings
After his parents separated during his teens, he moved with his mother to Michigan, where he later met and married Rowena Roche. He'd worked various odd jobs there including bus and truck driving, and eventually became a foreman with Allison Aircraft in Detroit. They had three sons, then following World War II and their divorce, by the 1950's he had returned to the east coast. There he'd met and married Elois Walstrom, the mother of his fourth son, David McMillion. Unfortunately that marriage was also troubled; and he later took vows a third (and final) time to Irene Carpenter of Baltimore. He was employed 27 years as a tractor trailer driver with Anchor Motor Freight at their Baltimore, Maryland terminal, from which he retired during the summer of 1976.
He then relocated with his wife, daughter and eldest stepdaughter to southeastern North Carolina, which he had discovered during his frequent travels truck driving and fondly referred to as "God's Country". Never one to 'let grass grow under his feet' (as he was often humorously teased in those days), he kept active by raising chickens and serving as caretaker of the Dr. J. Arthur Dosher house and estate for longtime fellow Southport residents George and Charlotte "Lottie" Lindner and George's sister Marguerite Forman of St. James, New York. He also hauled boats part time for the local marine shop.
However, during most of the 1980s he was best known in the community as "Mac," the taxicab driver for Oak Island Cab of Yaupon Beach. During these years he had the opportunity of meeting many interesting, important and influential people, including a reporter from TIME magazine who had interviewed him regarding the local filming of Crimes of the Heart (with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek) in Southport and Caswell Beach. The resulting (though brief) published article led to an invitation to appear on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which although flattering he respectfully declined for personal reasons.
He was very proud of what he referred to as his "chauffeur's" (commercial) driving license and it was difficult for him to give it up; but by the late 1980s his declining health finally brought him into full retirement. Having more free time on his hands, he turned his attentions to more personal and spiritual pursuits, during which he'd actively attended Cape Fear Missionary Alliance Church and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in October of 1989. He made one last trip back to Virginia with a close friend to visit his old boyhood farm and spend time with extended family and friends over Christmas. Following his return his health began to deteriorate more sharply; and having spent most of February and March of 1991 in and out of the hospital he passed away on the morning of April 22nd of congestive heart failure and related complications.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brothers Henry McMillion, who died in combat during WWII and Eugene McMillion Sr. who passed away in January of 1978; also an infant granddaughter, Sarah. Surviving were his wife Irene of Baltimore, MD; his youngest daughter; four sons, James "Jimmy" McMillion III and his wife Juanita, also of Southport; two sons of Wayne County, Michigan, and Rev. David E. McMillion (of Flames of Revival Ministries) in Chicago, Illinois; a sister, Lucy Ellen Prchal and her husband Joe of Parkville, MD; three stepchildren, Elaine Ward of Winnabow, NC; along with another stepdaughter and stepson also of Baltimore; one nephew of Greenville, SC; a niece and her family of New Castle, Delaware; his brother-in-law, Norman Currie and wife of Boiling Spring Lakes, along with many grandchildren and other extended family members.
His many hobbies during his working and early retirement years included traveling, camping, photography, bowling, woodworking, collectibles, antiques, electronics, genealogical research, livestock, inventions, and serving as president and secretary of the Teamsters local FCU #557 in Baltimore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After his parents separated during his teens, he moved with his mother to Michigan, where he later met and married Rowena Roche. He'd worked various odd jobs there including bus and truck driving, and eventually became a foreman with Allison Aircraft in Detroit. They had three sons, then following World War II and their divorce, by the 1950's he had returned to the east coast. There he'd met and married Elois Walstrom, the mother of his fourth son, David McMillion. Unfortunately that marriage was also troubled; and he later took vows a third (and final) time to Irene Carpenter of Baltimore. He was employed 27 years as a tractor trailer driver with Anchor Motor Freight at their Baltimore, Maryland terminal, from which he retired during the summer of 1976.
He then relocated with his wife, daughter and eldest stepdaughter to southeastern North Carolina, which he had discovered during his frequent travels truck driving and fondly referred to as "God's Country". Never one to 'let grass grow under his feet' (as he was often humorously teased in those days), he kept active by raising chickens and serving as caretaker of the Dr. J. Arthur Dosher house and estate for longtime fellow Southport residents George and Charlotte "Lottie" Lindner and George's sister Marguerite Forman of St. James, New York. He also hauled boats part time for the local marine shop.
However, during most of the 1980s he was best known in the community as "Mac," the taxicab driver for Oak Island Cab of Yaupon Beach. During these years he had the opportunity of meeting many interesting, important and influential people, including a reporter from TIME magazine who had interviewed him regarding the local filming of Crimes of the Heart (with Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek) in Southport and Caswell Beach. The resulting (though brief) published article led to an invitation to appear on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which although flattering he respectfully declined for personal reasons.
He was very proud of what he referred to as his "chauffeur's" (commercial) driving license and it was difficult for him to give it up; but by the late 1980s his declining health finally brought him into full retirement. Having more free time on his hands, he turned his attentions to more personal and spiritual pursuits, during which he'd actively attended Cape Fear Missionary Alliance Church and received Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior in October of 1989. He made one last trip back to Virginia with a close friend to visit his old boyhood farm and spend time with extended family and friends over Christmas. Following his return his health began to deteriorate more sharply; and having spent most of February and March of 1991 in and out of the hospital he passed away on the morning of April 22nd of congestive heart failure and related complications.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brothers Henry McMillion, who died in combat during WWII and Eugene McMillion Sr. who passed away in January of 1978; also an infant granddaughter, Sarah. Surviving were his wife Irene of Baltimore, MD; his youngest daughter; four sons, James "Jimmy" McMillion III and his wife Juanita, also of Southport; two sons of Wayne County, Michigan, and Rev. David E. McMillion (of Flames of Revival Ministries) in Chicago, Illinois; a sister, Lucy Ellen Prchal and her husband Joe of Parkville, MD; three stepchildren, Elaine Ward of Winnabow, NC; along with another stepdaughter and stepson also of Baltimore; one nephew of Greenville, SC; a niece and her family of New Castle, Delaware; his brother-in-law, Norman Currie and wife of Boiling Spring Lakes, along with many grandchildren and other extended family members.
His many hobbies during his working and early retirement years included traveling, camping, photography, bowling, woodworking, collectibles, antiques, electronics, genealogical research, livestock, inventions, and serving as president and secretary of the Teamsters local FCU #557 in Baltimore.
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