Francis E. Millard, 62
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Francis Edward Millard, 62, of 610 Church St., died Wednesday, April 30, 2008. He was the longtime principal of McCann Technical School and the football coach at McCann and Drury High School.
Born in Adams on March 15, 1946, son of Alma Reynolds Millard and the late Edward Francis Millard, he attended schools in North Adams and graduated from Drury High School with the class of 1964. He also graduated from Ottawa (Kan.) University, where he was a member of its championship football team and of the track team. He received his master's degree in education from the former North Adams State College, now Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Mr. Millard began teaching physical education at Clarksburg Elementary School until 1971, when he joined the faculty of McCann as a social studies and physical education teacher. He was principal of McCann from 1986 until his retirement in 2004. While principal, he was instrumental in McCann's participation in the SkillsUSA Competition, a national competition for vocational students to test their abilities and readiness for real-life situations.
He was named head football coach at McCann in 1973 and served until 1980, when he became head football coach at Drury High, coaching there until 1987. His 1982 team at Drury won the Western Mass Super Bowl. Mr. Millard returned to coaching the McCann football team in 2001, and continued until 2004, when he returned to Drury. He had coached the Blue Devils for the past three seasons. He was also a certified track official.
For the past 25 years, Mr. Millard was an emergency medical technician, intermediate, with the North Adams Ambulance Service. He was a member of the National Ski Patrol at Jiminy Peak for 25 years and was its Tuesday night supervisor.
He was a communicant of St. Anthony of Padua Church. Long active in the community, Mr. Millard was a member and chairman of the North Adams Parks and Recreation Committee for more than 20 years. He was a past president of the McCann teachers' union.
An avid golfer, he was a member of the board of directors and vice president of the North Adams Country Club and was a member of the Wahconah Country Club in Dalton. He also enjoyed travel and skied in Europe and throughout the United States. He was devoted to his family and was a beloved son, caring husband, loving father and a great friend to many.
He and his wife, the former Kathleen Rivers, were married on July 27, 1985, in St. Agnes' Church in Dalton.
Besides his wife and mother, of North Adams, he leaves three daughters, Emily Christine Millard of Philadelphia, Sara Elizabeth Millard of Richmond, Va., and Erin Frances Millard of North Adams; a brother and sister-in-law, Craig W. and Ellen Millard of North Adams; his father- and mother-in-law, James and Catherine Rivers of Dalton; four brothers- and sisters-in-law, Susan Licalzi and her husband, Peter, of Houston, Joanne Dowling and her husband, Kevin, of Hinsdale, Michael Rivers and his wife, JoAnn, of Dalton and Mary Cherry and her husband, Michael, of Dalton, and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
FUNERAL NOTICE - The funeral for Mr. Millard will be Monday, May 5, at 10 from Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 at St. Anthony's Church. Burial will follow in Southview Cemetery.
Calling hours at the funeral home will be Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.
Memorial donations are suggested for the North Adams Ambulance Service or the Francis E. Millard Memorial Scholarship in care of the funeral home.