Judy Gail Mills

Posted on July 1, 2022

Judy Gail Mills was born in Gay Logan, W. Va., on Nov. 2, 1948, to Lace Thompson and Cletus Steege. Judy went home to heaven on June 28, 2022, after a short, hard-fought battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving husband, her mother, three sons and two daughters. Judy was a bit of a pioneer in her time as a woman working in the West Texas oil fields during a time it was considered a man’s industry. She began a career as a machinist working for Rhoeder Hydraulics in Odessa, Texas. Judy continued her career at Aluminum Fabrication in Perry before getting a job as a tool and die maker for the Boeing Company in Auburn, Wash., where she retired after 29 years. Judy was proud to have helped design and create tools for the 777 Dreamliner, 767, 757, 747 and the 737 aircraft. She was preceded in death by her father, Lace Thompson, and brother, Buddy Thompson. Judy is survived by: her mother, Cletus Steege; loving husband of 38 years, Roy Mills of Perry; sister, Glenda Hensley, Winnemucca, Nev.; four sons and daughter-in-laws, Douglas and Carol Eckart of Seattle, Wash., Daniel and Lea Trujillo of Perry, David and Kathy Trujillo of Odessa, Texas, and Darwin Giles of Odessa; and four daughters, Sharon Mills of Reno, Nev., Bobbi MillsBarnard of Ft. Smith, Ark., Candy Winfield of Perry and Vicki Mills of Reno. Judy was a grandmother to 14 grandkids and eight great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held today (Friday) at 11 a.m. at Lakeside Baptist Church in Perry. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to any cancer charity of your choice in Judy’s name.