Wendell Holmes Mills Jr.

Wendell was a real-life model of the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. He was a true friend, mentor, and confidant to many and brought optimism, a positive outlook, and a ray of sunshine everywhere he went.

Wendell grew up during the Detroit automobile boom, his father having relocated from Pamlico, North Carolina to join GM. As a boy he loved baseball, math, science, and became a prodigy on the piano. After graduating from Detroit Cass Tech, he attended the University of Michigan, earning engineering and mathematics degrees. He left Michigan for California, playing piano across the country to pay for his trip. There he met the love of his life, Gloria Gonzalez, and they were married July 4, 1969. He went on to earn a Masters degree from the University of Florida and returned to the University of Michigan to earn a Ph. D in mathematics in 1976.

Wendell enjoyed a long career as a mathematician and a pianist/recording artist. He started as an associate professor at Penn State University (1976-1982) but then left academia to become an industrial mathematician first for British Petroleum in Cleveland (1982-1994) and then for ABB/Alstom in Hartford, CT (1994-2011). Along the way he played piano at many public and private venues, including the Ann Arbor Hilton, the Nittany Lion Inn, the Palm Restaurant, Steinway Hall, the Kensington Hotel (London), and Carnival Cruise Lines. His music remains available on Spotify, amazon music, and www.solopianostylings.com.

Wendell was quite proud of his status as “great” uncle, and is survived by his nieces, Deidra Donald (Hank), Meredith Mills, and nephews Jeff Mills (Mary), Thomas Craig Mills (Nancy) and Corey Mills, 13 great-nieces and nephews, and his faithful dog, Buckley. He was predeceased by Gloria, his wife of 52 years, his mother and father, his two brothers (David, Thomas) and his sister (Bonnie).

Wendell was a devoted husband, dog lover, accomplished composer, inventor, fix-it man, avid golfer and James Bond afficionado among many talents and interests. He loved cookies, and we could always count on him to take home a couple extra “for Gloria or Buckley”. You can honor him by donating to the Dumb Friends League or Doctors Without Borders in lieu of flowers.

Services will be held at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home on Saturday, March 23, 2024, starting with a visitation at 12PM, followed by the funeral service at 1PM. Live Streaming will be available through the Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park website