Birth date: Jan 20, 1947 Death date: Aug 24, 2020
Famed Rehoboth Beach Artist Passes Away All are invited to participate via live-streaming of the services by visiting the following link https://webcasts.lifetributes.com/1089381 Lee Wayne Mills, 73, passed away Monday, August 2 Read Obituary
I met Lee and Don in their capacity as gallery owners shortly after moving to Rehoboth Beach in 2007. We were members of an association of gallery owners who met once a month to share our business experiences, strategize programming, and kvetch. One of the first things I noticed about Lee was his habit of interjecting big words into a conversation- a simple sesquipedalian he might say.
Over the years, our lives intersected primarily around the arts, where his talents were evident, his knowledge inspiring, and his passion infectious. He was a mentor, teacher, and advocate, and his support meant the world to me. His mix of intellect, wit, and insecurity made him a real schatzi in my eyes. We met for breakfast once a month for the two years before his illness, and it is those times I will miss the most. The mentoring, teaching, and kvetching continued.
But no intellect, talent, or wit could overcome the grief of losing Don, his only true love…. I came across this poem, written by Lee:
MOST DAYS
All things considered, two years of remembrance –
born of loss and measured in silence –
cannot snuff the black candles
determined to smolder in the corners of
every room in this house
Footfalls of the past echo down the hall,
Go into the living room and hover
high over the dining room table – not set
in these twenty-four months hence -
just waiting for a day – a dinner – sometime in
keeping with an occasion of plenty, of joy
looking for the celebration of friends and family
meeting to share the feast and love renewed –
never-ending connections that weather all storms
or the family's parades of passion, envy or neglect;
priding ourselves as above the fray, on those best days,
quite sure we are sincerely
realizing the necessities in time's march,
sustaining the sequence of our lives,
taunting us with the pesky detail we
usually hope to avoid with the scurrying
velocities of departure, retreat and omission.
Well, that's how it goes most days, making emotional
Xeroxes, duplicating sin, doubling-down on
yesterday's efforts of reconciliation, the
zenith of all we intend to do.
So cheers to the arrival of Lee's long-awaited occasion of plenty and joy. The smoldering candles are once again bright, and the table overflows with plenty forever in celebration of friends and family and with love reunited.
God speed my friend….
I met Lee through a mutual friend, Larry Hooker, and instantly hit it off with both him and Don, having a shared love of art (paintings, sculptures, plays/musicals, movies). We spent many an evening, discussing theater, books, and politics, laughing and crying. He was generous in donating pieces to various fundraisers, including an auction I held for a number of years to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Another thing that stands out in my memory of Lee is his eloquent way in speaking about artists and their works. Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning my adoration for Lee's artistic skills as well. I have a number of his paintings bringing joy to my walls. And finally, Lee sure knew how to display art. When I moved into my new home a number of years ago, I left my keys with Lee and Don to hang my art. I was delighted when I returned to see everything so beautifully hung. I still smile when I look around my home, knowing Lee and Don are a part of it. May they both rest in peace, together once more.
Lee: The class of 1969 of Ripon College will miss you. Thank you for your artistic contributions to the '66, '67, '68, and '69 editions of Ripon's yearbook "The Crimson."
Scott Nyquist
Ripon College Class of 11969 class agent
Lee and I have been friends for 55 years having met at Ripon College freshman year. In that long span of our friendship there have been way too many memories to even begin to share. There were good times and bad times but so many more of the former. In the circle of life, though, there is one complete arc here. Lee and I shared both of our first trips together to Europe in 1970 spending 5 days each in London, Paris and Rome. Some of the events of that trip and "quotes" are still so vivid it is hard to believe they occurred 50 years ago. In a twist of fate we also shared our last trip to Europe together almost 4 years ago.
The trip actually started in Lee's beloved Provincetown. While we both had been there many times it was the first time we were there together. Friends of mine lend me there house every September and I asked Lee to join me there and it was great to get his perspective on the place as he shared favorite spots, restaurants, etc. that were meaningful during his and Don's relationship,
From there we spent several days in NYC attending several shows before heading to Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro. Our final day was spent in Venice and when taking the vaporetto to visit Peggy Guggenheim's home/museum we missed our stop and got off to take the vaporetto going in the opposite direction when we decided to have lunch. It was a very non-touristy area but, as fate sometimes does, we stumbled upon a restaurant where we had, what we both decided, was one of the best meals of our lives. We shared a pizza, a pasta and a fish that I never heard of but was amazing. Since spaghetti carbonara is Lee's favorite pasta he asked if that was the one we could share and I can still picture his face as he took his first bite, grinned and uttered, "Now I know what spaghetti carbonara tastes like."
We returned to the States the following day and he went back to DE and me to CA. it was the last time I saw him but what a great memory to have as a final goodbye. The circle of life for Lee and me is now complete but I have 55 years of amazing memories to keep me going until we take our next trip together.
I learned yesterday that Lee Wayne Mills has passed. He’s been on my mind during these Covid days, and now with the pandemic keeping memorials and funerals to a minimum, I would like to pay my respects to his family and friends.
Lee and I were not close friends, but he always greeted me with a smile and asked how I was doing, art-wise or otherwise. I met Lee about 15 years ago. I count Lee as one of those determining factors in my life. I was starting to paint. I hadn’t taken any formal classes or really studied at all. I was just opening up the paint tubes and trying to paint mermaids. One day, I got up the courage to go into Lee’s Coastal Frameshop and Gallery. It was just down the road, so I thought “what the heck.” I brought a few things I had painted, and asked about how to get into the art world. I kind of cringe thinking back on those early works. I know so much more now, but Lee was so kind. More importantly, he gave me a great gift…encouragement. After telling me to take some classes, keep putting paint on my brush, and studying the masters, he smiled and said, “You have something.”
There is a special place in my heart for anyone who’s given me encouragement, that will to keep at it, try, the push to “get there.” Lee has been in my heart since that first meeting. I think encouragement, right after love, might be one of the most powerful human gifts we can give to one another, and Lee gave it unselfishly.
We’ve lost a great artist, but more importantly, a lovely man. Thank you Lee. You made a difference to me and so many others. Rita Poore
