[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 11, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E17-E18]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF GEORGE MILLS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 11, 2023

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor George Mills who 
passed away on November 18, 2022, to celebrate his extraordinary life 
and commitment to serving his community.
  George grew up in Dearborn, Michigan where he played varsity football 
at St. Alphonsus School. In his youth, he worked at the Dearborn 
Independent, a weekly newspaper published and co-owned by his father. 
In 1959, the family moved to San Francisco where George earned a degree 
in Political Science from the University of San Francisco. He then 
attended the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island 
and served 3 years on the USS Ticonderoga. In 1964, George decided to 
further his education at the St. Patrick Catholic Seminary in Menlo 
Park, returning to the San Francisco Bay Area to earn his Bachelor of 
Arts in Philosophy.
  George's long and impactful career in education began with his return 
to the University of San Francisco, where he earned both his teaching 
credential and his Master of Arts in Education. His entire teaching 
career was with the San Rafael High School District (District). He 
started as a teacher at the San Rafael Continuation School, and within 
a decade, he established a Title I Language Arts Learning Center at San 
Rafael High School. In total, George dedicated 32 years to teaching 
English, Yearbook, and Journalism in the District. He was also active 
in the San Rafael Federation of Teachers in San Rafael and a respected 
advocate for his profession and colleagues.

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  During his decorated career, he received the ``Classroom Excellence'' 
award from the California Association of Teachers of English in 1983 
and was selected as a Bay Area Writing Project Fellow at U.C. Berkeley 
in 1985. Fittingly, he was named an ``Outstanding Teacher'' in Marin 
County in 1997.
  In addition to teaching, George was deeply involved in the San Rafael 
community with his wife Gayle. As Chairman of the Sun Valley 
Neighborhood Association, George traveled door to door to convince his 
neighbors to contribute to a community purchase of the land around Sun 
Valley Trail. This effort preserved the land for public use in 1985, 
which today is managed by Marin County Open Space District. George also 
coached his son's soccer and baseball teams and served as Assistant 
Scoutmaster for his Boy Scout troop.
  George is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Gayle Mills, his 
2 children: Christopher and Claire, and 2 grandchildren: Georgia and 
Donovan Illingworth. While he will be greatly missed, George's legacy 
will live on through the positive impact he had on his family, Marin 
County, and beyond.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that George Mills was a dedicated 
civil servant who will be missed and whose many years of service are 
worthy of commendation. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we 
honor his many contributions and express our deep condolences to his 
family and friends.

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