Douglas Gene Millard

Douglas Gene Millard

Born March 1932, Independence, Iowa – passed peacefully, August 3rd, 2022, in Anchorage, Alaska at age 90, with his forever loving wife Elaine by his side.

Doug lost his father in a pedestrian / vehicle accident in 1933. Doug and his mother (Clara) moved from Iowa to Nome, Alaska in August 1945 following an invitation for her to teach in Nome, from J. W. Thompson (a family friend and Nome school principal at the time). Doug started his lifelong relationship with the Wien family and their airline, while working for Wien Airlines, in Nome, as a janitor. In the fall of 1946, they moved from Nome to Fairbanks. Doug graduated from Lathrop High School in 1950, where he also played on the football team.

Doug was in the US Army, as an aircraft mechanic, from 1955 – 1957, based at Ladd Field in Fairbanks. He left the service as a Sergeant — with an Honorable discharge. He started his flying career February 1st, 1948 (first flight lesson) and retired as a Wien Airline Boeing 737 Captain on March 28th, 1981.

Doug met Elaine and they were married on September 1st, 1957. They had three boys they raised while living in Fairbanks, until moving to Wasilla in 1976.

While living in Fairbanks, and working at Wien on the Ramp, Doug became friends with Merrill and Richard Wien – eventually becoming almost like a part of the Wien family. He went on to partner with the Wein brothers and Stan Halverson in the founding of Merric Inc. Merric became a considerable aviation flight operation that eventually merged with ERA Helicopters.

Doug spent his entire adult life a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, and aviation advocate. He pushed for, and gained, FAA acknowledgement of the Wasilla Lake Seaplane Base. He was awarded with the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2006. He championed the live video weather cameras currently in use for weather observation for pilots. He also should be remembered for his unending quest to educate the world about static electricity and its dangers related to aviation.

Doug, an only child, was preceded in death by his father Burrell (1933) and his mother Clara (Speers) (1998). He is survived by his wife Elaine, three sons — Gary (Ann), David (Jennifer), Curtis (Sharon), and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

He would wish all a comfortable flight home!