Richard "Rick" Mills

Richard “Rick” Callender Mills, 64, passed away on October 26, 2020, with family by his side in Roseville, California. He fought cancer for over 9 years, giving his family and friends extra time with him. His charming personality and sense of humor continued to shine throughout it all. Rick was born February 29, 1956, in Culver City, California, to Oliver Judson Mills and Virginia Frances Mills (née Bailey). His father’s job took them across the world, living in Thailand, Taiwan, Wake Island, and then back to the USA. He enjoyed many childhood summers at Huntington Lake in California with his older sister Kathy. One of his biggest passions was racing motocross, and he spent most high school weekends with his dad at racing competitions. Rick’s biggest loves were his three daughters, Christina, Sarah, and Lindsey, whom he shared with his former wife, Julie Mills. When they were younger, the family camped on the Oregon Coast every summer. He also coached his daughters’ youth soccer teams, loved to BBQ over the hot Sacramento summers, and cheered on his girls at swim meets. He lived a full and joyful life filled with family, friends, and travel. Some of his many interests included beach volleyball, mountain biking, attending concerts at the beach in Santa Cruz, coin collecting, volunteering with his church in Santa Cruz to serve food at local homeless shelters, watching action movies, and everything Lord of the Rings. He was proud of his Scottish background and attended many Celtic festivals. His recent passions included his bowling league and taking ballroom dancing lessons. Rick is survived by his beloved daughters, Christina Elashry (Ahmed), Sarah Mills, and Lindsey Mills (Andrew); sister Kathy Moyer and her son Charlie. He was preceded in death by his parents; son-in-law, Achraf Ahmed; and grandson, Henri Sharif Ahmed. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be sent to the Kidney Cancer Association at https://www.kidneycancer.org/ or the Santa Cruz SPCA at https://spcasc.org/donate/. A small celebration of his life was held on Sunday, November 1, at his favorite place: the beach. To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Richard "Rick" Mills, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.