Benford ‘Ben’ Leo Millwood was born on April 17, 1942, in Lawrence County, Alabama to Lee Davis and Lenner Louise (Flannagin) Millwood. He passed away surrounded by family on March 7, 2025, just shy of his 83rd birthday after battling prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and dementia.
A gregarious soul, he made friends easily and was loved by family. He was often referred to as fun and good-natured (and a tad rebellious – at least by those who knew him best). He lived life fully and on his own terms. He was aware of the brevity of this life and wanted to enjoy every moment. Ben was always up for adventure, whether it was getting lost on some back road in Tennessee, lobstering in the Florida Keys, exploring the Scottish countryside, catching salmon in Alaska, or swimming with whale sharks in Mexico.
He grew up on a small farm (he was quick to share stories of Jake the mule) and worked as a young man in furniture sales. His most beloved profession, however, was that of a tug-boat engineer. He often spoke of how much he loved “riding the rivers.” Many locals in Lawrence and Morgan counties remember his later years, when he owned Midway Appliance and A/C Repair Services.
In his retirement, Ben lived in both Alabama and Florida. He was a long-time member of the Elk’s and Eagle’s Lodges in Decatur, serving on various committees over the years. He eagerly anticipated his annual fishing trips to South Sauty with his life-long friends at Lake Guntersville, sometimes joined by his brother, son-in-law, and son. Crappie was his favorite fish to catch, but the best part of these vacations for him wasn’t the fishing. It was participating in the laugh-filled night-time stories and comradery of his lodge buddies on these special yearly trips.
Ben was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Gary. He is survived by his children: Victor Millwood (Melissa) and Angela Lacinak (Thad), his sister: Lois Kitchens Gillespie (O.Z.), grandchildren: Dustin Millwood, Matthew Millwood, and Michaela Griffin (Blake), the mother of his children: Barbara Gillespie Townsend, and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces/ nephews and cousins.
At Ben’s request, a celebration of life will be held in May at the Elk’s Lodge in Decatur on May 10th at 4:00 p.m.. A memorial stone will be placed at Lebanon Cemetery in Speake, Alabama.
