Timothy Robert MacMillan, veteran, family man
Timothy “Lefty” Robert MacMillan, 76, passed away peacefully in his home, with his family by his side Monday, April 17, 2023, after battling ALS. He led a healthy, fulfilled life up until his diagnosis in the summer of 2022.
Tim grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and graduated from Frankfort High School in 1964. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era. He was a proud veteran and never took life for granted in honor of those who were sent to war and did not return. Tim made his career as a lineman for Philadelphia Electric and Conowingo Power, and finished as an electrical designer with Delmarva Power. He loved the excitement of being a lineman and later enjoyed the new challenge of becoming a designer.
Tim moved his family to Elkton, Md., in 1977, for a slower-paced life to raise his children, and then moved to Chesapeake City, Md., in 1991, to be by the water, where he was happiest. He grew up boating with his parents in Maryland and continued the tradition with his family. Tim loved to stay active and spent his downtime boating, traveling, fishing, scuba diving, and working in his yard. He loved adventure and was willing to try just about anything including flying a World War I biplane and driving a NASCAR racecar. Tim was very social and made friends everywhere he went. He was happiest outside. Tim loved to take in nature and wildlife and always made sure his birds, deer, and foxes were fed. He was also very artistic and returned to sketching and painting after retirement.
He and his wife Marian moved to Lewes following his love of water. Tim kept himself busy volunteering for the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Dirty Hands Gang restoring the historic Lightship Overfalls. He attended Lewes Presbyterian Church and volunteered at their local soup kitchen regularly. Tim was a talented craftsman and loved to lend his skills to others when they needed help. Above all, Tim was a family man. He always put his family first and cherished the time spent together. Tim taught his family by example to live and love every day to the fullest. He was loved by many, and will be forever missed by all who knew him.
Tim is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 54 years, Marian Theresa (Maguire) MacMillan, whom he adored; his children, Timothy James MacMillan, and Andrea Michelle (MacMillan) Mazur and husband Brandon Stuart Mazur; his granddaughters, Alexandrea “Lexi” Chieko MacMillan and Olivia Presley Mazur, all of whom he was extremely proud; his identical twin brother, James Gerald MacMillan, whom he shared an incredible bond, and wife Marylou MacMillan; his nephews, James Timothy MacMillan and Chad Mitchell MacMillan; his sister, Edith “Dee” (MacMillan) Algard of Naples, Fla.; and his brother-in-law, John Michael Maguire of Dallas, Texas. His family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support during this challenging time.
A special thank you to the hospice nurses from Compassionate Care, and to Jessica and Jackie from Tammy’s Helping Hands.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 19, at Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Hwy., Lewes, where friends may visit beginning at 10 a.m.
All who cannot attend in person are invited to join the services via livestreaming by visiting the following link: parsellfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/permalink/10967668/LTWebcast.
Visit Tim’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com. If you have a special memory with Tim that you would like to include, it will make a wonderful keepsake for the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to ALS as we are still so far away from a cure, donate.als.org/give/287064/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=jumppage; or Lightship Overfalls, preserving the history of the lightship was a labor of love for the Dirty Hands Gang and provided lasting friendships with an incredible group of men, overfalls.org/DonationsCash.html.
