James Lee “Jim” “Mac” McMillan, 76, born March 20, 1943, son of Nathan Joseph and Viola Lucille McMillan, brother of Janice Ann McMillan Mumford Adame, husband of Loreen Locke McMillan, father of Loren James McMillan, died Thursday evening, January 23, 2020 at his home in Topeka, Kansas.
Jim attended Highland Park Grade School, Oakland Grade School, Holiday Junior High School and Boswell Junior High School, all in Topeka. Jim graduated from Topeka High School, Class of 1961.
He served with the Kansas Army National Guard, 1964 to 1970; completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1964; and was called for active duty at Fort Riley, repairing helicopters damaged during the Vietnam Conflict. Jim was also stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, during his service.
Jim’s first paying job, (at age 8) was for cleaning mud out a basement of a home in the Oakland neighborhood of Topeka at the time of the 1951 flood. He worked at numerous jobs during his career, including as a photo typesetting computer operator for Josten’s American Yearbook for four years. In the early 1970’s Jim served as a campus police officer at Kansas State University in Manhattan, and in 1975, came back to Topeka to work for Division 8, (now Capitol Police, of the Kansas Highway Patrol. One of Jim’s assignments was security for the governor’s residence during Governor Bennett’s and Governor Carlin’s administrations. He retired from State of Kansas employment in 2002 as a probation officer with Court Services, Kansas Third Judicial District in the Shawnee County Courthouse. Following retirement he worked as a Deputy US Marshall on the security detail at the Carlson Federal Courthouse in Topeka, and later as a paraprofessional at two Topeka area schools.
During high school, Jim took electricity and electronics classes at the Kaw Valley Technical School, now Washburn Tech. Jim had many interests and was always learning. He earned his private pilot’s license in 1962 and his commercial pilot’s license in 1973. He completed training at St Francis Hospital to be a cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructor and an emergency medical technician and taught CPR for a number of years. During his employment with the highway patrol he earned college credit for some of the law enforcement training he completed. So in his early forties, Jim enrolled in criminal justice and criminal law at Washburn University and graduated in 1988 when his son was six months old. He was always interested in electronics, and in February 2016 completed requirements for a technician class license to operate an amateur radio station using the call sign KEOHYU. In April 2016, he completed requirements for the general class amateur radio license.
Jim was a 40-year member of the Topeka First United Methodist Church and member of Masonic Lodge 90 in Topeka. As a youth, Jim was a member of Boy Scout Troop 32. During his son’s journey to the Eagle Scout Award, Jim served as a Cub and Boy Scout leader with Pack 110 and Troop 175. Jim was a hobby woodworker and member of the Topeka Sawdusters Club.
Jim married Loreen Locke, October 28, 1978, in her hometown of Arlington, Kansas. Loreen survives, as does their son Loren James McMillan and his fiancée, Susan Stewart-Craig who are planning a June wedding.
Jim is also survived by a niece and nephew, Tracy Sue Mumford Mathias Williams, of Georgia, and Christopher Robin Mumford, Topeka, and their families. Other survivors include Jim’s sister-in-law Connie Locke, Topeka; brother-in-law, Mark and Darlene Locke and their family, Manhattan, Kansas, as well as the family cat Kitters. He is predeceased by his parents, sister and nephew Scott Allan Mumford.
The graveside service will be 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Kansas, with Pastor Keith Dellenbach, of Abbyville officiating. A Celebration of Life service will be Friday, January 31, 3:00pm, at Topeka First United Methodist Church, 600 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, Pastor Jeff Clinger officiating. If attending, please enter from the parking lot door on the west side of the church. Reception allowing family to greet guests will follow the church service.
In lieu of flowers, Jim’s family suggests memorials to the Topeka First United Methodist Church, 600 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, Kansas 66603 or the Topeka High School Historical Society for Topeka High’s Sesquicentennial “150th” Celebration-1871-2021, or the Topeka High School Historical Society Endowment Fund. Send historical society memorials to the Topeka High School Historical Society, 800 SW 10th Ave, Topeka, Kansas 66612. Additional information at TopekaHigh150.com, https://www.facebook.com/THS150/.