BY JENN SAMSEL
Special to the Monitor
A 68-year-old Keystone Heights man killed in a Friday, August 22, crash was remembered with fondness at a recent gathering at American Legion Post 202.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Theodore (Ted) Wilson McMillan was riding his motorcycle on County Road 352 near Monongahela Avenue when an SUV driven by an 18-year-old Keystone Heights man crossed a double yellow line and struck the bike while rounding a curve.
The collision occurred around 7:16 p.m. The occupants of the SUV received minor injuries.
According to American Legion members, McMillan was going home from the post at the time of the crash.
His friends said that before leaving Post 202 that night, he hugged everyone and said goodbye, marking the last time anyone would see him.
“It’s a party now”, were his final words, said Chip Nielsen, member of the Military, Police, and Cops Motorcycle Club at Post 202.
Nielsen described McMillan as a Phillies fan, a motorcycle lover, and a fantastic guy.
“He was the guy who would do anything for you,” Nielsen added. “If you were sick, for some reason, he would always call you in the morning and ask how you were doing. He really lit up a room.”
Another Post 202 member, Todd Falconer, said he and McMillan joined the motorcycle club at the same time.
“He was kind of like a father some days, and a brother most every day,” Falconer recalled. “He was a lesson in how you should live your life and treat people.”
In addition to his active participation in Post 202’s Sons of the American Legion, McMillan was active in a New Jersey chapter for 18 years.
He also assisted with Raising K9 Line, which trains dogs, and Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, which focuses on veterans.
A celebration of the life of McMillan will be held on Saturday, August 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Stone’s Irish Pub in Keystone Heights.
Another Post 202 member, Beth Falconer, emphasized McMillan’s positive attitude and his talent for uplifting others.
“He was truly a light that would brighten somebody’s day if he were with them,” she said. “It didn’t matter who you were, he had something positive always to say to whoever he was talking to.”
