George Duncan Hastie McMillan Jr.

Former Alabama Lt. Governor George Duncan Hastie McMillan Jr., whose six-decade career shaped the state’s political, legal, and cultural landscape, passed away on April 18, 2025, after a brief illness. He was 81.

Born to George D. H. McMillan Sr. and Jean Autrey McMillan, George had an idyllic childhood, spending much of his time on his grandmother’s Greenville, Alabama farm with brothers Autrey and Bill.

From a young age, it was clear George possessed extraordinary leadership skills as the oldest of 25 Autrey cousins. In 1966, George graduated magna cum laude from Auburn University, where he served as President of the Student Government Association and was a member of the Spades Honorary Society.

In 1969, he graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law where he was elected to the student council and was a member of the Z Society. He was admitted to the Alabama Bar that same year.

From 1970 to 1976, George served in the U.S. Army Reserve, achieving the rank of Captain. He clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Allgood and later began practicing law in his own firm, McMillan & Spratling.

George loved, admired, and respected his wife of 53 years, Ann Dial McMillan, whom he met on a blind date in 1970. The two were married the following year. He was exceedingly close to their children, George D.H. McMillan III of Birmingham (Meredith Carlisle McMillan) and Ann Dial McMillan Sims of Asheville, NC (William Comer Sims). He absolutely adored his two grandchildren Louise Dial Sims and Evelyn Ann Sims.

George was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Bill McMillan.

He is also survived by his brother, Autrey McMillan (Donna—who was like a sister to him), nephews Autrey McMillan, Jr. (Chandi and family), Shane McMillan (Sara and family), Bill McMillan, Jr., Matthew McMillan, sister-in-law Becky Warner, niece Rebecca Strang (Rob and family), Becky Carlisle and Nancy Collins, and numerous beloved cousins and treasured friends.

In 1973, he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. The following year, he defeated a strong incumbent to gain a seat in the Alabama Senate, where his colleagues named him “Hardest Working Senator.” In 1978, McMillan was elected Lt. Governor, proving that a progressive Democrat could win statewide.

While establishing a successful political career, George was teaching at The University of Alabama at Birmingham; chairing Alabama’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention; serving as vice chair of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors; founding the Alabama Film Commission and chairing it for the first seven years; serving as vice chair of the Southern Growth Policies Board; and being an active member of Rotary Club of Birmingham, serving a term on its board of directors. In 1990, he was elected Birmingham’s “Citizen of the Year.”

Perhaps George McMillan’s greatest contribution to his beloved Birmingham began in the late 1980s when he helped found City Stages, a world class music festival in downtown Birmingham, supported by thousands of volunteers.

For 21 years, City Stages attracted world-class entertainment and transformed Birmingham’s image of itself by bringing people together across racial and socio-economic lines.

In 1990, George formed McMillan Associates, an event production, consulting and marketing firm, to help other organizations elevate their presence and build community through signature events.

George served as a founder of the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF), serving 12 counties in Alabama’s Black Belt. He served on its board for ten years, including three years as chairperson. In 2015, he was honored with the BBCF Legacy Award for his essential efforts on behalf of the organization.

Hundreds passed through George’s circle of influence, rarely leaving unchanged. He had an unparalleled gift for mentorship — often recognizing leadership in others before they saw it in themselves.

He leaves behind an extraordinary array of people who have achieved things in their lives they never dared to think possible because he believed in them.

Beyond the offices he held or the organizations he founded, George made a quiet habit of lifting people up and bringing them together.

Pericles said, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” And therein lies, perhaps, George McMillan’s greatest legacy—not in institutions, but in individuals.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25th, at Southside Baptist Church located at 1016 19th Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205. Friends are cordially invited to visit with the family from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Burial will be held privately for the family prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Black Belt Community Foundation, Inc. for youth scholarships at P.O. Box 2020, Selma, AL 36702 (www.blackbeltfound.org) or a charity of your choice.

Services are under the direction of Ridout’s Valley Chapel (205.879.3401) in Homewood.