Rodney Eugene Millard

Rod passed away on Sunday, August 6 at 2:30 a.m.  He had been dealing with Lewy Body Dementia for the past seven years but the cause of his death was a sudden heart attack. Rod was born on September 4, 1933 as Rodney Eugene Millard to Lester and Martha (Riepe) Millard in Arapahoe, Nebraska.  His only sibling, Florence Irene, was born in 1936. In 1942 the family moved to Paramount, California where his father helped family members with their dairy.  There were simply no jobs in Nebraska.  In 1943, the family moved to Whittier, California, where Rod and Florence were enrolled in the very first year of Trinity Lutheran School. Rod was confirmed at Trinity in April 1947.  His parents then sent him to California Concordia College and High School in Oakland, California.  However, he really didn’t want to be there so he got on a bus and came home.  His parents allowed him to stay home and attend public school but sent him back to Concordia the following year.  He graduated from Concordia in 1951 and then moved on to Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska to study to become a teacher.  He graduated in 1955. In 1962 he got a Master of Science in Education degree from University of Southern California. (USC)  Rod taught high school chemistry for several years in Houston, Texas, River Forest, Illinois and Inglewood, California.  His students loved him, especially the girls.  All his students said he was tough but fair. In September 1960, Rod met his wife-to-be, Ann Louise Schaffnit.  Ann had an apartment in Inglewood and her roommate also taught at Lutheran High in Inglewood.  They all attended Faith Morningside Lutheran Church.  Rod and Ann got engaged in December of that same year and married in March, 1961. By 1964, they had a 4 bedroom house in Torrance and two children, Timothy and Julia and a dog and a cat.  Rod also had a new job because in the first year of marriage, he said he no longer wanted to teach. In 1962, he went to work for Southern California Edison as head of the chemistry lab in the Redondo Beach Steam Generating Station.  Rod later worked in Paramount for several years and was promoted to the company headquarters in Rosemead.  He worked for Edison for almost 35 years and retired in 1996.  Ann and Rod were married for 56 years. When Rod was promoted to Rosemead, the family decided to sell their home in Torrance and move to Orange County, California.  They wanted to live in Fullerton but finally settled on a brand new home in Yorba Linda, where they have lived for 42 years. Rod loved gardening and classical music and was a voracious reader.  He meticulously planned every vacation in the U.S and Europe.  He served as congregational president at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Orange for a few years and also served there in other capacities.  He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife Ann, son Tim and his wife Sheri of Orange, CA, daughter Julie of Yorba Linda, his sister and brother-in-law of Waco, Texas, a nephew and family in Torrance, California, a niece and family in Austin, Texas and his two grandsons, Adam and Joshua Millard. As a loving Christian family, we are totally convinced that Rod’s soul is in heaven with Jesus.  Rod’s body was cremated on August 10.  A memorial service is planned at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Orange for 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 9, 2017. We wish to thank all those friends and family who have already sent cards, flowers and food.  It is very much appreciated.  God bless you all. Memorial donations may be sent to either St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1250 E. Heim Ave., Orange, CA  92865 or to Concordia University, 800 N. Columbia Avenue, Seward, NE 68434.