Brooks Mills

William Brooks Mills, 85, of Spring Hope, NC, passed away April 27, 2025.

Brooks was the son of Morton Matthew and Vera Mills.

He was also a brother, Daddy, Granddaddy/Papa, Great Granddad and beloved husband. He grew up on a farm in Eastern North Carolina and was always drawn back to that area for Sunday rides through the countryside of Edgecombe, Martin and Pitt County where he would point out farmland that he had tended as a young farmer. He loved horses and for a large portion of his younger years showed horses throughout the South. Brooks was a talker and never met a stranger. In the years that he and Jan were married, he probably told the same stories hundreds of times to the men at the grill in Spring Hope where he ate breakfast every morning. He would quickly tell anyone that he has had a good life.

Brooks was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Mursel, Frank, Matt and Al Gene; sisters, Ann Mills Averette and Muriel Mills Groves; daughter, Sharon Mills Gardner and grandson Jon Paul Nichols.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Jan Murray Mills; sisters, Mary Mills Rubin of Canton GA and Becky Mills Sanderlin (Jim) of Greenville NC; daughters, Virginia Mills Kilpatrick of Greenville NC and Carol Brooks Mills Harrell of Hobgood NC; grandchildren, Ashley Meeks, Emily Meeks, Ray Kilpatrick, Zack Harrell, Caleb Harrell, Brooks Shackelford (Amy), David Cole Radford, Bip Moore and four great grandchildren; stepchildren, Brent Cone (Jennifer), Mark Cone (Rebecca), and Robyn Cone Reynolds (Ron); eight step-grandchildren, and five step-great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Thursday, May 1, 2025, 10:00 am, at Wilson Memorial Service, 2811 Fieldstream Dr. North, Wilson, North Carolina. A Celebration of Life service will be held immediately following the visitation at 11:00 with burial at Healthy Plains Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery located at the intersection of Hwy, 581 and Healthy Plains Church Road, Sims NC.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Spring Creek Horse Rescue, 1840 Hitching Post Ln, Kinston, NC 28504 or any horse rescue farm of your choice.

Arrangements by Wilson Memorial Service, 2811 Fieldstream Dr N, Wilson, NC (252) 237-7171; www.wilsonmemorialservice.com