David Alan Mills

David Alan Mills, age 86, of Westby, passed away Monday, January 11, 2021, at Bethel Home in Viroqua. He was born May 28th, 1934, in Illinois to the late Jack and Ruth (Royal) Mills. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He then went to Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois, where he graduated in 1959. He went on in pediatrics, finishing his residency in 1962. He then enlisted into the U.S. Army where he served as a pediatrician, mostly in Paris, France. In 1964, he was certified a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics, and in 1965, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Following his service to our country, he opened his own practice in Pacific Grove, CA, where he spent his career serving members of the community, including co-founding the Pacific Grove Heritage Society and serving as its first president. He retired from pediatrics, and for a time lived partly in France as well as maintaining his residence in Pacific Grove. He and his first wife parted ways in 1993. David married a second time in 1995. He and his wife Vanessa lived in Portland, Oregon for a few years and then moved to the La Crosse area in 2001, purchasing their home in Westby, Wis. at the end of 2001. For ten years they split their time between the U.S. and France, and then ended their French years in 2007. They continued their lives in Westby, where they helped their community by entertaining with music. David loved playing the piano all his life, and did some composing in his later years. He had learned significant carpentry skills from his father, and enjoyed working with a variety of media to create beautiful things, including rebuilding and restoring the homes in which he chose to live. Over the course of his lifetime he worked with stone, tile, wood, and glass, both in America and in France. He also had a love of reading, particularly British and American classics. Survivors include his wife, Vanessa Mills; his children: Bonnie (Paul) Bennett and David Alan (Gwen) Mills, Jr.; three grandchildren: Amanda (Jordan) Damm, Andrew (Stephanie) Lee, and Matthew (Megan) Lee; five step-grandchildren: Elyssa (Khalid Nassar) Bennett, Rebecca (Brian) Scharmann, Emily (Phillip) Kerber, Kelsey (Nate) Henderson, and Alexis (Matt) Turel; several great-grandchildren; his brother, Jonathan (Marlene) Mills; his first wife, Jeanne Mills; his sister-in-law, Ann Mills; and many other relatives and friends. David was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, John Mills. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Westby. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. David’s family would like to thank the staff members at Bethel Home for the care they provided. Vosseteig Funeral Home in Westby is serving David's family. 708 S. Main Street Westby, WI 54667 608-634-2100