It is with deep regret and sadness that we announce the passing of George Mills in August 2024 after putting up a brave fight with cancer for a number of years. George was well-known to many of us in the machine tool and metalworking industry, especially to those in the Western Cape.

Born on the 11th November 1946 to parents Elizabeth and Harold in Wednesbury in the Midlands of the UK, George was an only child. Besides supporting EPL side Newcastle FC because of his association with the area – football being another of his major passions – one of George’s other passions was travelling.

George’s first trip abroad was to Holland to watch the Dutch Grand Prix with his school as a 13-year-old. His second trip was to France and then a football tournament in Belgium. These trips would wet George’s appetite to a fascinating period of George’s life where he travelled to countries around the world over a period 12 years before eventually ending up in Africa and settling in Cape Town in 1981.

George Mills

George joined FH Lloyds at the age of 15 to become an engineering apprentice and his ‘proper travels’ began in 1964. They started in Spain, followed by Turkey, and then driving across Europe to Moscow in 1968 in a Ford Cortina. His first exploration outside Europe was to take a ship from Liverpool to Rio. Thereafter he travelled through pretty much every country in South America, living on ‘1 rice and 2 eggs’ as the staple diet, from the Amazon to Machu Picchu in Peru.

To subsidise his travels George taught English. Eventually he entered the US, via Mexico, and continued to Canada and then hitchhiked across the full width of Canada working on a tobacco farm as part of the journey. He then re-entered the US where so many stories were formed.

George was a great story teller and he always remembered his stories with intricate detail which served him well as he fondly told stories in later life to family and friends. Amongst many interesting and funny stories one of these related to a time in New York when he was ‘homeless’ and often used to buy a ticket and spend the entire day in the cinema to keep warm.

George eventually found the cash to get back to the UK where he took up an interest in Buddhism. His time in the UK was short lived before he got on the road again, this time travelling through Europe to the Middle East where he drank coffee with the Bedouin people in the dessert. His travels included visiting Israel, Iraq and Iran. He also spent time in Dubai where again he taught English to earn money, which set him on his was to Asia.

According to George he absolutely loved his time in India and Sri Lanka and regarded that period as the most spiritual time of his journeys. He said he always felt very connected to that part of the world.

Once through India he worked his way through South Asia and then down to Australia. One of the main highlights of this trip was a boat trip, which George crewed on, that was due to take 6 weeks and ended up taking 6 months.

George got off in Bali, where he contracted Malaria, before moving back through South Asia exploring countries that, at that time, were truly off the beaten path. Countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

Finally George made his way through Africa and this was the start of his next journey. He met the love of his life and great friend and in 1976 George married Tina in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia in those days).

George always talked about his delight in becoming a father. This anchored him, he said. In 1977 Tyne arrived – named after the well-known river in Newcastle in the north of England. The travelling didn’t stop as they took a 3-month trip through Africa back to the UK in 1978. George used to reminisce about only travelling with 2 bags, a bunsen burner and Tyne in a papoose on his back. In 1979 George and Tina welcomed a daughter – Claudia.

Tyne and Claudia’s early years were spent in the UK. Even then the family travelled – notably spending an entire football season traveling to every single one of Walsall’s football away games – Tina breastfeeding Claudia in the stands much to the interest of the fellow fans.

The longing to be back in Africa was strong. George moved the family over to South Africa in 1981 originally working with Siemens who placed him in Pretoria before moving to Plessey in Cape Town. The trip from Pretoria to Cape Town took the family 6 months with George making sure they explored the coast of South Africa along the way.

George would subsequently join WD Hearn Machine Tools in 1982 and stayed with the company and in Cape Town until his retirement in 2015 to live and enjoy one of his favourite areas – Muizenberg. He lived in his flat that was his home for 40 years, which has one of the most iconic views of Surfers Corner imaginable.

Whilst with WD Hearn Machine Tools George’s love of travelling continued and he would make many business trips to countries like the UK, Taiwan and China. George was also part of a management buyout of WD Hearn Machine Tools in 1985. The buyout included fellow directors Ray Cooper, Don Brenton and Bob Hamilton.

In 2007, George also took part in a trip of lifetime following the South African cricket team’s tour around the Caribbean, with some of his dearest friends, and his son Tyne.

“This was one of the hardest summaries to write,” said friend and colleague Ray Cooper at George’s memorial appropriately held at Peddlars on the Bend, a favourite after hours meeting place for George.

“George had so many great experiences in life, as an individual, a colleague of mine and also a close friend. It’s impossible to talk about all of them, but we’ve done our best in giving you a small window into George’s life and travels.”

“There are too many stories to share in one sitting but to say that WD Hearn was a massive part of George’s life is an understatement. From the early days with Don and Bobby H through to the latter years with myself and then with Graeme. There were stressful times, but for the most part they were years of hard work more than peppered with fun and friends.”

“Our families spent many times together and we cemented our relationship on the football field, spending many hours playing for Meadowridge Football Club.”

“George had many great qualities but the one I admired the most was his free spirit and ability to not take life too seriously. A one-of-a-kind person on this planet of ours – always so caring and supportive of those around him. Your forever positive and fun-loving attitude along with your zest for life, which you filled to capacity. I salute you for it.”

In his later years George took to being a father-in-law to Julia and Paul with welcome arms and he relished being an ‘Oupa’. All four of his grandchildren idolised him as he did them. He referred to Tilly as being an unbelievable musician – music was another one of George’s passions – Robin an engineer in the waiting, India, the most loving child you could hope to meet and Emma, Oupa loved this little ‘skelm’.

Whilst Tina and George were divorced in 1986, their friendship never stopped. In the latter years, Tina and George were as close as ever and she was by his side, with their children Tyne and Claudia, when he passed – no one will ever forget how much Tina supported, and loved George.

George will be greatly missed by his family, his ex-colleagues in South Africa, his long-standing friends and everyone who knew him. RIP George.