David Joseph Milam, 51, died July 6, 2020 in Chicago of a heart attack with no relation to COVID. He was born June 13, 1969 to Jack and Carolyn Milam in Houston, Texas. He graduated from Victoria High School in 1987. He was a graduate of Austin College with a degree in English and a Master’s degree in Library Science from The University of Texas in Austin. Following graduation, he moved to Los Angeles and secured a job with Warner Brothers. During this time, he received his Microsoft Certification. Eventually he began his career with MRI (JFK) in Los Angeles. Later he was transferred to Chicago where he lived and worked for the last 8 years.
David loved spending time with friends and family. He especially enjoyed travelling and eating special meals. Before he moved to Chicago, his adventurous spirit led him on a walkabout. He traveled from California through the south to Florida. He found Alabama to be completely charming and hoped to get back to the Alabama Coast someday. From there he traveled up through Eastern US where he found the Blue Ridge Mountains beautiful. Traveling through the Midwest he was able to spend time with his family. We all cautioned him to check the antifreeze and be careful through South Dakota and Wyoming as it was getting into winter months. He learned the importance of staying on main roads during a blizzard and decided to make his way back to California. He hoped to get to the Northwest on a future trip. After reflection on his trip, his takeaway was that he went backwards: spend summers up north and winters down south. He continued to love traveling and took the opportunities to travel with those he loved. He was looking forward to more trips with all his family.
Eating was always an adventure with David. He used eating as a time to learn and grow. Not only did he want you to try a variety of cuisines, he would often order one of just about everything on the menu. We all had the opportunity to share and sample A LOT. There was often a lesson to learn about history or why a food was important. David was also a self-guided mixologist. Not only did he introduce his family to new foods, he always had a new cocktail for us to try. Most of us still have obscure ingredients in our house. He knew how to get people out of their comfort zones for sure, including eating chicken feet for Christmas.
He is survived by his sister, Krista Milam (Jon) of York, PA; his brother Steven Milam (Ingeri) and nephew Tommy Milam and niece Beth Milam of Princeton, MN; aunt and uncle, Mary Schneider (Jim); cousins John Schneider (Meleah); and Mark Schneider (Emily); and Sarah Fiest (Brian) of Reinbeck, Iowa. He particularly loved spending time with his family including his niece and nephew (his monkeys) and all of his cousins who knew him as Picklehead.
The family will have a memorial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rockport Center for the Arts. You may donate online at rockportartcenter.com/donate OR via mail Rockport Center for the Arts S Austin Street Rockport, Texas 78382 OR by Phone 361-729-5519 and email [email protected].
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ridgefh.com for the Milam family.
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