Obituary
Memorial services for Russell Ward Millar, a 40-year Costa Mesa
resident and 33-year Orange Coast College professor, will be held at 2
p.m. Saturday. Dr. Millar died April 1, after a lengthy struggle with
Parkinson’s disease. He was 75.
Born Aug. 16, 1926, Dr. Millar grew up in Berkeley. He served in the
Merchant Marines in World War II before moving into the Army.
He later earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC
Berkeley and a master’s degree at George Washington University. While in
Washington, D.C., he taught political science classes at the Pentagon.
Later, Dr. Millar earned his doctorate at Kings College, University of
London.
In 1951, Dr. Millar married Loel Marston, to whom he remained married
for 17 years.
Between 1962 and 1995, Dr. Millar taught political science and
international relations at Orange Coast College. During that time, he
traveled often, at one point trekking more than 10,000 miles from London
to Delhi, India, and back.
Dr. Millar also became involved in local politics and, beginning in
1983, served a decade as the president of the Concerned Citizens of Costa
Mesa. The group sued the Orange County Fair board and the Nederlander
Organization over noise complaints stemming from the former Pacific
Amphitheatre.
Dr. Millar is survived by wife of 31 years Karen Melgaard Millar; sons
Andrew Ward Millar, Bradbury Stewart Millar and Duncan Lowell Millar; and
daughter Sarah Millar Babovic.
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