Betty Jean Mills' Obituary
Betty Jean Mills (née Pickinpaugh) was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 11, 1947 to Dwaine Elwood and Mary Bell (née Rothe) Pickinpaugh. During her young life she moved around frequently due to her father’s career in the Armed Forces. A few of those notable places being Cheyenne, Wyoming; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Reno, Nevada; and Lakenheath, England the last of which left a lasting impression. She was always fond of things that were British in nature. She moved to the San Diego area from her hometown to take work at Travelodge as an accountant. Later, she worked for San Diego Unified School District working as the Supervising Accountant in the Financial Accounting Department. During this time she was introduced to the love of her life by a mutual friend, Floyd JB Mills Jr. They married March 25, 1985 in San Diego and she gained not only a husband but also a son, Scott Allen Mills; Floyd’s son from a previous marriage. They went on to have two more children; David Christian Floyd Mills and Sarah Ashley Mary Robinson (née Mills). She became a grandmother for the first time in January of 2011 when her grandsons Kyran Robinson and Silas Mills were born and again in April 2014 with the birth of her granddaughter Melanie Mills. From the moment her grandchildren were born they became the apples of her eye; she loved nothing more than to spend as much time with them as possible and indulged them in all of their desires and passions. She showered them with love and always made sure that they knew they were loved by her with all of her heart. She loved traveling – her favorite trips being to mountainous areas where she found peace and solitude among the greenery, wildlife, and fresh air. She found a similar solitude at home where she rose early to enjoy a good cup of coffee in the soft morning light with the sound of the world waking up around her. She was a bookworm by nature and was rarely seen without a book – mystery novels being her favorite; you also rarely found her without a crossword, sudoku puzzle, or solitaire game that was in her possession at all times – this was such a great joy to her that she kept a few in her car to be sure she had one at all times. She was a quiet, gentle soul who cared deeply for living things around her; having the patience and unprecedented level of care for animals and humans alike. We remember her fondly feeding the wild rabbits in her back yard and keeping her dogs in such great health that they outlived their life expectancy by several years. She was renowned in our kitchen at home where her skills were unrivaled – her sauces were the specialty that we always looked forward to. Most importantly she was the most kind and selfless person to ever walk this earth; she would give you the shirt off her back and ask for nothing in return. She was many things to many people, but mostly she was deeply loved by everyone who knew her. Unfortunately in 2018 she was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She fought with all her might for 2 years before the disease took her. She battled fiercely and bravely with every ounce of her being exhibiting clearly her strength of mind and heart that we all so admired. She was preceded in death by her parents Dwaine Pickinpaugh (1989) and Mary Bell Pickinpaugh (2004), and her brother Jerry Dwain Pickinpaugh (2020). She leaves behind her husband Floyd Mills of San Diego, Children – Scott Mills of Indianapolis, and David Mills and Sarah Robinson of Kerrville, TX, niece Violet Irene Baldrica of National City and Grandchildren – Silas Mills of Indianapolis and Kyran Robinson and Melanie Mills of Kerrville, TX who will all miss her dearly and carry her in their hearts for the rest of their lives. Her viewing will be held at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego from 5-9pm on Monday July 6 with funeral services the following day – Tuesday July 7 - at 1pm both at their Salli Lynn Chapel. Burial to follow funeral service at Singing Hills Memorial Park in El Cajon. Please send flowers to Greenwood Memorial Park and/or donate to the ALS Association to fund research to find a cure.
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