CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Former Illinois student-athlete Douglas C. Mills passed away on May 14. He was 84 years old.
Mills was a 1962 graduate of the University of Illinois, where he played football, basketball and baseball. He was a three-year letterwinner in baseball (1960, ’61, ’62), two-year letterwinner in basketball (1961, ’62), and one-year letterwinner in football (1961). After enrolling at Illinois on a football scholarship, he had his most success on the baseball field, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, threw a no-hitter against Wisconsin in 1961, and was named the 1962 Illinois Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year. He still ranks No. 2 in Illinois history in career winning percentage by a pitcher with a 18-1 career record (.947).
Mills went on to a long career in banking at Busey Bank in Champaign. He served as president and CEO of Busey until August 2007 and as chairman of the board until 2009, before retiring in 2010. Mills took Busey Bank from a $40 million bank in Urbana to a $4 billion publicly traded company with operations in three states in nearly 40 years of service.
Mills was a loyal Illinois supporter and continued to make his mark on Fighting Illini Athletics long after his playing career, most notably by endowing the football head coaching position. The Illinois football coach has been titled the Douglas C. and Linda M. Mills Endowed Head Football Coach since 1998.
Mills’ first wife, Linda, died of breast cancer in 2006. Also a University of Illinois graduate, Linda, along with the family, made major contributions towards establishment of the Mills Breast Cancer Institute at Carle in Champaign.
Mills is survived by his wife Cynthia (Cisty) Mills of Peoria, sister Ginger (Mike) Baxter of Ellenton, Florida, son David of Ft. Myers, Florida, son Rob (Christen) of San Diego, California, former daughter-in-law Meredith Mills of Champaign, and granddaughters Madison and Ashley Mills, both of Champaign. Douglas and Cisty were married for 12 years.
Mills’ funeral and celebration of life will be held May 30 at Memorial Stadium in the Colonnades Club at 11:00 a.m. CT.
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