William F. Mills Jr., 95, passed on Jan. 21 2015.
He was born in Manhattan, N.Y., and was a long resident of Nassau County, including 45 years in Oyster Bay Cove. He and his wife, Joan A. Mills, moved to Gulf Shores in 1999.
William worked for Sperry Gyroscope from 1941-44, and served in the Army Air Corps from 1944 to 1946.
He attended Hofstra University and received his B.S. in business administration in 1948 and his MBA in 1956. He was executive director of the organizing committee to create the Long Island Better Business Bureau in 1959. He went on to work with a number of Chambers of Commerce on Long Island.
He and his wife founded Market Media Relations, an advertising agency in New York City, in the 1980s and continued in advertising through their work with House magazine, where William was associate publisher. He was an avid photographer and many of his photographs were published in newspapers, such as Newsday, and in House magazine.
William was a devoted volunteer to a number of organizations. He was a great supporter of Hofstra University, serving twice in elected positions as chairman of the board and president of the Alumni Association.
In the late 1950s, he was the inaugural chairman of the Hofstra Alumni Club in New York City. Hofstra recognized his contributions by awarding him the George M. Estabrook Distinguished Service Award in 1992.
William was also a member and helped found the First Church of Christ Scientists in Huntington, N.Y.
William was predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Joan A. Mills.
He is survived by his three daughters, Barbara Mills of Tucson, Ariz., Robin Mills of Gulf Shores and Jacqueline Mills of Vancouver, Canada; as well as four grandchildren.
Services will be held at Gulf Shores First Presbyterian Church at 10 a.m. on Feb. 14, 2015.
Arrangements by Pine Rest Funeral Home, Foley.
