William "Pres" Preston McMillan

William Preston McMillan (Pres as he was known) was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

       His parents were Thomas Clark McMillan and Bertha Lavenia Thompson. Pres was raised in Owen Sound. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the McMillan household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Pres was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Pres was raised with six siblings. He had 5 brothers, Mel, Norm, Wilfred, Ernie and Robert and one sister, Laverne. He was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sister. He and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Pres was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, he was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Pres developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. He did take part in baseball. However, what he enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

      While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Pres as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He then entered a two year technical course in Owen Sound. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. He was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. He always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

      Always considered to be a solid friend, Pres was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, he was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Pres to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. Later in life, he became friends with Jim Ferguson, Ted Green, Tom Crowley, Fred Shaw, Jim Hayes, Bob Dumouchell, Bert Steel, Ray Leese and Cleber Travis.

      On November 18, 1943 Pres exchanged wedding vows with Elizabeth (Betty) Brown at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist of St. John's, Newfoundland. Compassionate and devoted to Betty, Pres held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment for over 66 years. He was a source of strength to Betty and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      He brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Pres was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Pres and Betty were blessed with five children; twins, Allan and Patricia and Robert, Mary & Margaret. They were also blessed with eight grandchildren, Jennifer, the late Paul (1972-1995), Sean, Jason, Kimberly, Ken, Amanda and Tamara and ten great grandchildren Tristan, Trinity, Alanna; Preston, Bradley, Bryn, the late Jennifer; Andrew, Jeremy, and Sydney.

      Pres greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. He enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Pres was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was a photo engraver at the Windsor Star, later becoming "Head" of the Engraving Dept. At one time he was employed with the Timmins Press as chief news photographer and in 1938 was with the Sudbury Star as their staff photographer. Then in 1946, he became a photographer for the Sentinel-Review in Woodstock. They finally moved to Windsor in 1949, where Pres took a job as a photo engraver at the Windsor Star. Pres worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Pres was a Corporal in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was in the R. C. A. F., enlisting August 8, 1941 in North Bay, Ontario. He saw action throughout World War II. Pres was stationed in England where he was responsible for mounting cameras in the bombers, as well, film magazines which later had to be developed and printed for analyzing. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Corporal, Aerial Photographer in the R. C. A. F. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, he seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      Pres liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, he always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were golf, oil painting (self taught), making music on the harmonica (self taught) and playing cards, especially cribbage and euchre. Pres was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others. Many a neighbourhood party or barbecue had Pres playing the harmonica.

      Pres found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. Recreational sports included golf. In 1954 Pres held the traveling trophy for top golfer at the Windsor Star. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were golf and curling.

      Many organizations were grateful to have Pres as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, he was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Pres was an active member of the Masonic Lodge, he became a 50 year member of Palace Lodge #604 A. F.& A. M., a member of Border Cities Lodge #554 A. F.& A. M., and St. Andrew's Lodge # 642 A. F.& A. M. He was also a life member of the Windsor Lodge of Perfection, 32nd Degree member of Windsor Chapter of Rose Croix, A. & A. S. R., Moore Sovereign Consistory of the Scottish Rite in Hamilton, Mocha Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. Of London, Ontario, a life member of the Moramos Shrine Club in Windsor and was a member of Clan #59 Maple Leaf Order of Hillbilly Degree Team. Many local members of these lodges were taught by him over the years.

      Pres was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of the "Disciples of Christ" becoming a member of St. Aidan's Anglican Church, Windsor in 1993. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      He enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Every year there was a get-a-way for the family. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Pres appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, he always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Pres arranged to have a family reunion at their home for his whole family to celebrate Christmas 1959. Often on weekends they would travel to visit relatives, just to spend the day together. Those who were further away were greeted on vacations. Favorite vacations included trips to Northern Ontario. Pres would love to take Betty for a cruise on the lake with dinner and dancing. In later years Pres and Betty would often take drives around the Great Lakes.

      When Pres' retirement finally arrived in March of 1976, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved remaining in Windsor, Ontario. Even in retirement, Pres continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      William Preston McMillan, "Pres" passed away on July 28, 2009 of natural causes at Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of "Pres" McMillan. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

McMILLAN, William Preston, "Pres"

94 years. Passed away on July 28, 2009 at Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital. Beloved husband of Elizabeth for 66 years. Loving father of Allan McMillan (Donna), Patricia Lowe (Stephen), Bob McMillan (Sue), Mary Brown, Margaret Hamel and late husband Ron (1998). Dear grandfather to Jennifer Virgili, Paul McMillan (1995), Jason Brown (Christine), Sean Lowe (Jadranka), Kimberly Brown, Ken McMillan (Erin), Amanda Blanchard (Brad) and Tamara Lowe. Great grandfather to 4 great granddaughters and 6 great grandsons. Dear brother to Robert McMillan (Barbara). Predeceased by his brothers Mel, Wilfred, Norm and Ernie McMillan and his sister Laverne Bunt. Pres worked with the Windsor Star as a Photo Engraver until he retired. He was one of three photographers that were chosen to photograph the Queen Mum during her 1939 visit to Canada. He served during WWII with the RCAF. He was a life member and Sr. Warden of the Palace Lodge 604 A.F. & A.M. G.R.C (50 yrs), member of Border Cities Lodge No. 554 A.F. & A.M., life member of the Windsor Lodge of Perfection, Ancient and Accepted; Windsor Chapter of Rose Croix A. & A.S.R. - 32nd Degree; Moore Sovereign Consistory of the Scottish Rite, Hamilton, member of Mocha Temple A.A.O.N.M.S. of London, life member of Moramos Shrine Club, Windsor, member of Clan No 59 Maple Leaf Order of Hillbilly Degree and member of St. Andrews Lodge No 642 A.F. & A.M. Visitation will be held at the Anderson Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 895 Ouellette Avenue (519-254-3223) on Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. A Masonic Service will be held Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. under the auspices of the Palace Lodge 604 A.F.& A.M. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 31, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. in the Anderson Memorial Chapel. Cremation to follow. Memorial tributes to the Shriners Hospital for Sick Children would be appreciated by the family.