Obituary of Adell McMillan

Adell McMillan died May 8, 2010, at the age of 76, from complications of a stroke. She was born in Portland, Oregon on June 22, 1933 to John and Eunice McMillan. A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, May 24th at 4:00 p.m. at the Erb Memorial Union (EMU) on the University of Oregon Campus, with private family inurnment at Riverview Abbey in Portland. The Adell McMillan Art Gallery located in the Student Union is named in her honor for years of service as the Director of the EMU. She was retired from the Erb Memorial Union and Director Emeritus of the EMU at the time of her death. She earned a B.A. in Social Science from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA and an M.S. in Recreation Management from the University of Oregon. Adell began her career in the college union and student activities field in 1955 as Program Director of the Erb Memorial Union and served as its Associate Director before becoming Director in 1975. Retiring in 1991, she was an active community volunteer. Adell was a Board Member and two-time Past President of the United Way of Lane County, member and Past President of the City Club of Eugene, former City of Eugene Planning Commission member for two terms, Past President of the Association of College Unions International where she was a Butts-Whiting award recipient, member of the Eugene Library Foundation Board of Directors, member of the Eugene Opera Board, and founding member and steering committee member of Women in Philanthropy, and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Additionally, she was a member of Zonta International and Past President of Zonta Club of Eugene where she was awarded the Eva B. Collins Award for Community Service. She served as a delegate to Zonta's conferences in Victoria, B.C. and Hong Kong, and also served as Treasurer of Zonta District 8. With a love for research and writing, she co-authored "College Union Pioneers: A Collection of Oral History Interviews", she authored "A Common Ground: The Erb Memorial Union, University of Oregon from 1950-2000". Adell co-edited and co-authored "College Unions-Seventy-five Years", and she was author of "John MacMillan, Sr., A True Scots' Ladd" about the life of her paternal grandfather. At the time of her death she was researching and writing a book about her maternal grandmother. In addition to her philanthropy and writing, Adell was a patron of the Eugene Symphony, Eugene Ballet and Eugene Opera. You could always find her cheering for the University of Oregon Women's Basketball team at all the home games. She was also passionate about classical and Celtic music, art, reading, and she was an avid golfer with the women's group at Emerald Valley. Adell was preceded in death by her parents, John and Eunice McMillan, cousins Kenneth Russell, David Caswell, Dale Turner, and Terri Turner. She is also preceded in death by many beloved aunts and uncles. She is survived by her cousin, Carolyn Hudlow and husband John Hudlow as well as their son Bob Hudlow, his wife Paula, and their children Nick and Alex; their daughter Patty Chapman, her husband Greg, and their children JD, Meg, and Matt; Kenneth Russell's wife, Harriet, and their four children and families; Stephanie Skinner; Tom Caswell and his family; and Bob Beattie and his family; and Dale Turner's son. The family suggests remembrances be made inAdell's name to United Way of Lane County, University of Oregon/EMU Art Collection, the Eugene Public Library or Whitman College.