Larry Mills

(From Mason-Woodard Mortuary)

Larry Alan Mills, age 63, of Joplin, passed away on Saturday March 19, 2016, at Freeman Hospital West, following a sudden illness.

Larry was born on June 5, 1952 in Mesa, Az., the son of the late Jack and Jan (Bufe) Mills. He grew up in Rolla, Mo. and graduated from Rolla High School in 1970. He then moved to the Joplin area. He served his country in the Army Reserves during the Vietnam Era. He received his BS in Nursing from Pittsburg State University. He was a RN for over twenty-five years, retiring in 2014 after working for both Freeman Health System and Mercy Hospital. He was a member of Wildwood Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon.
To know Larry was to love him. He touched so many lives with his humor and selflessness. He had a passion for the Kansas City Chiefs. He loved the music of Elvis and was proud of the fact that he saw him in concert three different times. He enjoyed all of the oldies. Larry was very proud of his Choctaw Indian heritage. He also enjoyed showing off his classic 1958 Corvette. He was a member of the Route 66 Corvette Cruisers. Most of all Larry loved the Lord and his family.

He married Laura Lea Petty on November 23, 1990 in Joplin, and she survives. Also surviving are two sons, Blake Mills and Hunter Mills, both of Joplin; one brother Gary Mills and wife Jerre, Rolla, Mo.; one sister, Jackie Mohring and husband Allan, St. Paul, Mn.; brother and sister in-laws, Arthur C. Petty and wife Cathy, Diamond, Mo., Linda James and husband Larry, Neosho, Mo., Mary Sloan and husband Steve, Joplin, Ann Patrick and husband Glen, Diamond, Mo., Deana Crouch, Springfield, Mo., Marcia Petty, Duenweg, Mo., and Julia Fehring and husband David, Neosho, Mo.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday at Wildwood Baptist Church. Pastor Joe Morris and Pastor Lew Poe will officiate. The family will receive friends 5-7 p.m. Wednesday at Mason-Woodard Mortuary.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Wildwood Baptist Church Building Fund.

Arrangements are under the direction of Mason-Woodard Mortuary & Crematory.