Glade Mills passed away Oct. 2, 2006 at the age of 80. He was born in Clarion, Penn., April 7, 1926. At the age of 17 he joined the Navy to begin a 20-year career that brought him and his wife Ruth, sons Tim and Terry and niece Deborah, to Whidbey Island in 1954.
In the early ‘60s he started Mills Motor Repair, selling boats, motors, chainsaws and fishing gear.
Glade joined the Masons in 1952 and achieved the degree of Master Mason in 1953. One of his greatest pleasures was to see the faces of the children as he marched in the parades as Dumbo the Elephant with the Nile characters. He was also active with the American Legion, the Fleet Reserve and VFW.
The love for the great outdoors was the reason he stayed on the island. “Everything is within a couple of hours away, elk, bear, moose, deer, and all types of fishin’. What more could a guy want?” In his later years, Glade started hunting with a camera. He lived near a bluff overlooking Penn Cove where the fin, fur and feather inhabitants would put on a show every day. Eagles, quail, rabbits, ducks, the occasional coyote, and even several wandering whales. He found great joy in the breathtaking beauty of nature.
Service vessels and stations included: USS Wasp, NACMC Philadelphia, DE 205, Moffet Field, USS Boxer, NAF Oppama, Japan, VEP 62, Jacksonville, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, MCAS, El Toro, Heavy Attack Squadron 4, NAS Whidbey.
In the spring of 2002 Glade received a medal from the president of the Republic of Korea. The accompanying letter read as follows:
“Dear Veteran, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, I would like to offer you my deepest gratitude for your noble contribution to the efforts to safeguard the Republic of Korea and uphold liberal democracy around the world. At the same time, I remember with endless respect and affection those who sacrificed their lives for that cause. We Koreans hold dear in our hearts the conviction, courage and spirit of sacrifice shown to us by such selfless friends as you, who enabled us to remain a free democratic nation. The ideals of democracy, for which you were willing to sacrifice your all 50 years ago, have long become universal values in the new century and millenium. Half a century after the Korean War, we honor you and reaffirm our friendship, which helped to forge the blood alliance between our two countries. And we resolve once again to work with all friendly nations for the good of humankind and peace in the world. I thank you once again for your noble sacrifice and pray for your health and happiness. Sincerely yours, Kim Dae-jung.”
Dad will be buried at sea with full military honors.
