Obituary of Garold Edgar McMillan

Garold Edgar McMillan, age 96, passed away on July 1, 2023, in Ardmore, Okla. Graveside services were held in Hillcrest Memorial Park. Garold was born in Wilson, Oklahoma in 1926 and grew up in nearby Clemscott. His family along with his three small brothers were carjacked and held for hours at gunpoint in 1930 by three miscreants who drove up alongside with one riding the running board and smashing the driver’s window with his revolver, forcing them to pullover not far from home. They made threats to kill them before finally leaving them in the middle of a road at midnight. After a tornado destroyed Clemscott, the family moved to Ardmore. Being drafted into the us Army in 1944, he was assigned to the 24th Infantry Division, 34th Anti-Tank company as a replacement soldier in the Philippines where he saw limited action. He served in occupied Japan as a Technical sergeant, then obtained an Honorable Discharge and took advantage of the G.I. Bill; attending business college in Ardmore for 2 years. After working at the Tivoli Theater he moved to OKC and worked for ONG. His Ardmoreite friend Jim Guerin encouraged him to move to Dallas where they roomed together in a boarding house. He went to work at chance-vought as a time keeper before landing at standard Fruit & Steamship Co. to begin learning the produce business. After a brief stint there, Bob Ennis recruited him for his brokerage. Over a few years of extensive travel, he developed strong relationships with growers, shippers & customers across the country and was able to break out on his own. He had immediate success specializing in onions -and potatoes, buying train car loads from growers and selling to companies large and small. In Jan, 1954 he married Geraldine Elaine and together had 3 sons. He had to go it alone raising the kids in Richardson when she succumbed after a 10 year battle with cancer in 1968. He said her cigarette of choice was Kent. They used Garold McMillan asbestos in their filters for a few years in the 50's and probably no coincidence she developed lung cancer at the age of 28. He introduced his boys to hunting and fishing, taking them on trips to deer leases all over Texas, dove hunting and countless fishing trips to Lake Dallas for it's huge crappie. He also introduced them to hard work, getting them jobs on the produce market as laborers for summer jobs when young teens. While not a 'religious man' he could be heard occasionally praying in bed asking for God’s blessing on family members, listing each by name. He was fairly moderate of habits, thankfully quitting cigarettes after his wife died. He relieved the stress of daily driving Central Expwy by playing a few games of pool on the way home, taking the easy money of players who made the mistake of drinking too much. He loved to laugh and kid. When he was told bad news, he usually retorted, "Bad deal in Bedrock!" from an old western movie he apparently liked and became a family tagline. Before retiring he closed up his Dallas office and worked directly for different potato growers selling their crop on commission. His last job was several years for the Navajo tribe's huge farming enterprise (NAPI) in New Mexico. He moved back to Ardmore in 1991 to be close to family and settled into retired life with his recliner, cigar, TV and Louis La'Mour westerns. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Geraldine McMillan, son, Patrick McMillan, brothers, Virgil McMillan and Darrell McMillan. Garold is survived by his sons, John McMillan and Daniel McMillan and brother, Harold McMillan.