Ed Leigh McMillan II, 71, of Brewton, died Thursday, March 29, 2012, after a long illness.
McMillan was the eldest of five children born to Thomas E. McMillan and Elvira Minge Cochrane McMillan of Brewton. He attended T. R. Miller High School, playing football for the Tigers and after graduation in 1958 he attended North Carolina State University where he studied forest management and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. He and his wife, Mary Ann, had two sons, Ed and Dan, who were born in Raleigh and also live in Brewton. After receiving his B. S. in Forestry at NC State in 1962, he continued his education receiving a B.S. degree in finance from the University of Alabama in 1964.
After graduation he returned to his hometown of Brewton, where he began work as the first forester of T. R. Miller Mill Company. He served over 40 years with this hometown company. He was past president and past director of Cedar Creek Land & Timber Inc. in Brewton, which owns timberland in south Alabama, and a past corporate secretary and director of T. R. Miller Mill Company in Brewton, which owns timberland in south Alabama and north Florida. The company produces lumber, utility poles and other products for sale to other manufacturers, utilities and in the wholesale and retail market. He also was the past President of Neal Land & Timber Company Inc. in Blountstown, Florida, and currently was serving on the Board of Directors. In 2006 he resigned the managing positions with these companies and called himself semi-retired, however he continued to be active in many capacities.
He was a General Partner of McMillan, Ltd. of Brewton, a family partnership owned with his siblings, Elvira M. Tate, Katherine M. Owens, Thomas E. McMillan, Jr. and Robert C. McMillan which owns timberland and has holdings in oil and gas interests in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Mr. McMillan was the Owner of Double “M” Farms of Brewton, a cattle farm which raises and sells commercial cross-bred cows and calves. He was a continual supporter of the Alabama Livestock Exposition held annually in Montgomery.
In 1981 he received the W. Kelly Mosley Environmental Award for Achievements in Forestry, Wildlife and Related Resources. Being a good steward of the forest and the god-given natural resources were always of utmost importance to Mr. McMillan. He generously supported the Alabama Wildlife Association, the Nature Conservancy, Boy Scouts of America, and patriotic causes that were significantly important to him.
Mr. McMillan was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Brewton.
He was honored by the Brewton Chamber of Commerce as the 1983 Man of the Year. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Brewton YMCA, was recognized as an American Tree Farmer, and was honored by the Forest Landowner’s Association as Forest Landowner of the Year in 2010. This past January he was honored by his alma mater, North Carolina State University, as the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus by the College of Natural Resources.
McMillan was the current managing trustee of the D. W. McMillan Trust and the D. W. McMillan Foundation in Brewton. This private/charitable trust manages timberland, and due to the significant oil discovery in Escambia County, he was involved in negotiations dealing with leasing of mineral rights, leasing of sites for drilling rigs and rights-of-ways for pipelines.
He was instrumental in building and strengthening the Brewton community through his stewardship. The Brewton Library, the D. W. McMillan Memorial Hospital, the Brewton YMCA, Jefferson Davis Community College and countless individuals have been the recipients of the charitable generosity under his leadership’s tenure.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ann McMillan; two sons, Ed Leigh McMillan III and wife, Perri, and Daniel W. McMillan and wife, Kathy; a step-daughter, Christina Johnson and husband, Stanley, of Pansey, Ala.; 10 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters; numerous nieces and nephews; and a multitude of friends.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 1, 2012, at Brewton First United Methodist Church.
Funeral services are scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday at Brewton First United Methodist Church with Dr. Ed Glaize officiating. Interment will follow in Union Cemetery in Brewton with Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home directing.