David Mcmillin

David seemed destined to come into and out of this world in an automobile. In the womb, he was involved in a car accident that endangered his life and hospitalized his mother for months before his delivery. Growing up, he loved fast cars, and later spent a good bit of his adult life restoring classic cars to their former beauty. So, it’s only fitting that he would go out of this world in a car as well. After a high-speed race to the emergency room Sunday morning, February 6, 2022, David died of a heart attack. He might now be laughing at that high-performance slide into the grave befitting of his younger self. It seems he couldn’t handle the speed anymore.

David was born in Wichita to Esther and Allen B. McMillin in 1949. He spent his early years working the family chicken farm feeding chickens and collecting eggs. The family moved farming operations to Elk City, and later to Independence where he graduated high school in 1967. He then graduated from Kansas State University, and after college he began to be involved again in the family farming operations. As a fifth generation farmer, he spent 50 years in the fields and served in various leadership capacities in the ag community along the way. David wasn’t all about farming and restoring cars though. Having a love for music, he played saxophone in a local rock band for a time. He was also a great dancer and has always sought out a rousing time with good friends. He enjoyed cooking and trying out new recipes for friends and family events as well.

In 1974 he married Annette (Powell) McMillin and had two children, Scott McMillin and Megan (McMillin) Walker, both surviving. As a family they would take vacations and camping trips near and far every summer with friends. He loved to travel and explore. David was well-known for being an adoring husband in his own way and would always eventually get around to supporting Annette in all of her elaborate adventures. Later in their lives the two of them began to vacation annually at varying beach destinations to enjoy the scenery and bring back pounds and pounds of fresh gulf shrimp. He purchased a ‘49 Mercury late in her life and began to have it restored for her driving pleasure. He even went so far as to buy her a lake house simply to bring her joy in her final years before she would pass.

Many people knew him as the funniest guy in the room. Ever the comedian, his stories seemed to evolve with each subsequent telling, becoming slightly more dramatic and hilarious each time. You could never get tired of listening to him tell the same stories you had heard ten times before. He was a brashly honest man. However, behind that he was also a very kind, generous, and loving person, sometimes giving extravagantly to a friend in need. One piece of advice he might give if you caught him in a serious mood: don’t put off doing those things you really want to do, because pretty soon you’ll be too old to do them.

David had planted many trees on his property that he later used to memorialize significant life events. He reflected back on time and saw the physical passing of time in the growing size of those trees. You are encouraged to plant a tree in his honor and think of him as you watch it grow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the David and Annette McMillin Memorial Scholarship Fund at Community National Bank in Independence.

Celebration of life services will be held this Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Potts Chapel at 11:00am. A visitation is scheduled for Friday evening from 5:00–7:00pm. Please arrive in your classic cars in honor of Dave.