Jim Mills

Jim Mills (age 82) passed away peacefully from pulmonary disease on January 28, 2025. He was born into a Quaker family on June 7, 1942, in Dayton, OH and raised on a small farm near Centerville, IN with his two brothers and sister. At age 18, in keeping with his Quaker beliefs, he became a conscientious objector. Jim met Nadean Coate at Earlham College (A.B. in chemistry, 1963). They were married in 1964 under the care of West Milton Meeting which was Nadean’s home meeting. Some years before, Jim’s family had also been associated with West Milton Meeting although their paths never crossed. Jim went on to earn a PhD in physical chemistry from Brown University followed by a postdoc at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He taught for four years at Drew University (Madison, NJ), but his and Nadean’s time in Colorado had left its mark; they couldn’t ignore their longing for the West.

In 1973, they moved to Durango, CO with two young children where Jim was a professor of chemistry at Fort Lewis College for 32 years. He was a beloved teacher, colleague, and leader who had passion for building a strong chemistry program and for bringing daily joy to others. He served as department chair, State Board of Agriculture representative, and faculty liaison for the construction of a new chemistry hall. Jim’s love for teaching was immeasurable, and receiving the Alice Admire Teaching Award was a proud accomplishment.

When Jim and Nadean first arrived in Durango, they happily participated in a small worship group, held at the home of Carolyn and Art Emery. The Durango Worship Group, not yet a monthly meeting, was under the care of Albuquerque Monthly Meeting. By the spring of 1980, after engaging in a process of spirit-led and prayerful discernment, the worship group felt ready to become a monthly meeting. A request was sent to Albuquerque MM and approved in the fall of 1980. Jim was instrumental in shepherding this process and served as the first clerk of Durango Monthly Meeting.

Jim also played a major role in the visioning and eventual building of the Durango Friends meeting house. The land was purchased in 1993, and after serious consideration, the meeting house building project began in 1996. Early in the process of discernment, Jim reminded Friends that “the meeting house is not the Meeting”, and that “the community is more important than the building”. Jim served as one of the corporation trustees during the project and provided steadfast and thoughtful leadership throughout. The first Meeting for Worship in the new Meetinghouse was joyfully held in February, 1997.

Jim was a humble man, thoughtful, diplomatic, kind and soft-spoken. He was known for his offbeat and dry sense of humor. His friends were many.

He is survived by his wife Nadean, daughter Jen, son Chris, daughter-in-law Jean, granddaughter Omie, brother Elwood, sister Carol, and sister-in-law Eugenia who will hold tightly to the gentle humor and love that he shared with so many.