Wesley Ryland Mills, Jr.

July 14, 2018

Wesley Ryland Mills, Jr, 94, of Sandy Springs, passed away Saturday, July 14, 2018. Wesley was born in 1924 in Atlanta, Georgia to Mary Cobb Mills and Wesley Ryland Mills Sr. He grew up in Atlanta, graduated from North Fulton High School and attended Emory University. Wesley contributed during WWII by installing radar in military aircraft. In 1948, he married the love of his life, Ella Doris Davis, to whom he was married for 69 wonderful years. He had a strong entrepreneurial spirit exemplified by multiple businesses ventures, including a hamburger restaurant across from GA Tech, a successful carpet business, and his later work as a contractor in both commercial and residential construction throughout Metro Atlanta, GA, Clearwater, FL, and Bainbridge, Ga. Wesley enjoyed creating memories with his family at the house on the Flint River and with his love for international travel, especially throughout Europe, where he continued to meet and make lifelong friends. Most importantly, Wesley loved being surrounded by and held strong sentimental attachments to his family and friends. He never met a stranger or hesitated to offer love and support to others. Wesley was a captivating story teller who eagerly shared tales of his past exploits, pranks, and family.

Wesley is preceded in death by his wife, Doris Mills, his son Wesley Ryland Mills III, and his sister Mary Ann Johnson and her husband Louis Johnson. He is survived by his three daughters, Stephanie Mills, Karen Lanning (Ron), and Melanie Abrams (Wendell); his daughter-in-law Debbie Mills; four grandchildren, Dr. Jessica Rome (Judah), Dr. Katie Lanning (Cooper Hammarlund), Wesley R. Mills IV, and Leah Mills; two great grandchildren, Eli Rome and Jonathan Rome; two nephews, Jeffrey Johnson and Greg Johnson; a niece, Mary Ann Matthias (Jason); and great nieces and nephews, Mary Kathleen Wood (Mark), Robert Johnson, Glenn Johnson, Christopher Matthias, Connor Matthias, as well as great-great nephew Elliot and great-great niece Amy Wood. He also leaves cousins and an extended family whom he loved dearly and who loved his tremendous kindness and generosity. Visitation will be Friday, July 20t from 6 until 8 p.m. at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd in Sandy Springs. Services will be Saturday, July 21 at 11:00 a.m. at the same location. Interment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park. Donations can be made in lieu of flowers in Wesley’s memory to The German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Georgia, http://www.gashepherd.org.