Charles McMillen

Charles Clifton McMillen, 89, of Nancy, Kentucky, died peacefully after a short stay at the Jean Waddle Care Center (Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital Hospice Suites) on August 11, 2025.

Charles was born on February 9, 1936, near Dorsey, Mississippi, to the late Margreet (Sheffield) Gibson and Noonan McMillen. Charles served in the Air Force from 1954-58 and worked as an airplane mechanic at Lockbourne Air Force Base (now Rickenbacker) in Columbus, Ohio. He later became a tool and die maker, retiring from the Chrysler Corporation in Dayton, Ohio, in 1984.

Charles married Maxie (“Toogie”) Hamilton on March 2, 1957. They raised three children, Patricia, Barry and Brad, in Medway, Ohio. The family spent many weekends boating and fishing on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. When Charles and Toogie retired, they built a house within a few miles of Lake Cumberland (Faubush area) and lived there happily for the rest of their lives.

Charles was a true Southern gentleman. He was distinguished, respectful, generous and kind; someone you could trust; a man of his word. He worked hard and shared what he had with those he cared about. Family and friends enjoyed vacations in Panama City Beach, Florida (where he got his “Vitamin Sea”) and vegetables from his garden. He was a nature lover, outside from dawn to dusk—in the barn, mowing on the tractor, chopping wood, collecting walnuts and feeding the fish in his pond—with his loyal dog, Bubba, always nearby. He (and Bubba) made their daily rounds, checking the mail and feeding the squirrels. Even the squirrels enjoyed his company; when he called, they came running.

Charles was also a talented musician. Influenced by his musical maternal grandfather and uncles, at 10 or 11 years old, he’d saved enough money stocking pop at the golf course and picking cotton after school ($3 per 100 pounds) to buy himself a Silvertone guitar from Sears Roebuck. He taught himself to play and had an exceptional singing voice. During his teen years, he regularly performed on a live radio show in LaPorte, Indiana, and sold a few original songs to well-known artists. He enjoyed playing music with family and friends his whole life and was highly respected within the music community.

NASCAR was another constant in his world. As a fan, at 76 years old, Charles suited up and drove a race car at the NASCAR Richard Petty Driving Experience. He attended races at several tracks with friends and family throughout the years and looked forward to races on TV.

He always introduced himself as Charles, but to some, he was also “Dad” or “Pappaw Charlie.” He made everything fun. Whether he was playing Aggravation (marbles game), Rook or Rummy, he was delightfully competitive, a great strategist and possibly the world’s luckiest dice roller. He lives on in our hearts and will be deeply missed. We feel blessed that we were able to know him.

The family thanks anyone who was close to Charles and Toogie and helped them in any way throughout their lives.

Charles is survived by his daughter Patricia (Ronald) Mirrell; grandchildren Monica (Todd) Gazvoda, James (Lori) McElwain, Melanie (Ahsan) Ullah and Jenna (Jeff) Woelfer; great grandchildren Michael Haffner, Bailey Ullah, Sarah, Molly and Jamie McElwain, Nicholas Gazvoda, and Lexie and Jules Woelfer; sister-in-law Lena Hamilton and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his dear cousins Ann and Caroline and other family members from Mississippi.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Toogie, sons Barry McMillen, Charles Bradley (“Brad”) McMillen, younger brother Marlon McMillen, stepfather Walter Gibson, and infant great granddaughter Anna Sophia Gazvoda.

Visitation will be from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, on Friday, August 15, 2025, at the Lake Cumberland Funeral Home, 1046 W. Highway 80, Somerset, KY, with his funeral service to follow at 1:00 pm. Burial will be in Lakeside Memorial Gardens in Somerset, KY.