Anonymous - 9-22-2005 at 08:45 PM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/obituaries/20050922-1148-...
September 22, 2005
SAN DIEGO ? Corky McMillin, who launched a career as one of Southern California's most prominent real-estate developers literally with his own hands,
died Thursday of heart failure at a local hospital. He was 76.
McMillin, founder and CEO of The Corky McMillin Companies, had been hospitalized since Sept. 10, when he was stricken with chest pains while racing in
the desert.
A native of Kansas City, Mo., he was born Macey L. McMillin Jr., but was known throughout his life as Corky. His family came west when he was in his
teens and he began working with his father, a small building contractor, as a teenager.
After seven years in the military, he founded his own firm in National City in 1960, using the equity in his own home to build his first house for
sale, and doing most of the construction work himself. His wife, Vonnie, served as his bookkeeper and office manager.
From that very small start, he expanded over the years to small-tract development and eventually multi-neighborhood communities throughout Southern
California and beyond.
In the last 45 years, McMillin companies have built 1,838 apartment units, nearly 700 units of campus housing at three colleges, and more than 20,000
houses. Last year, the company expanded for the first time beyond California with the purchase of Gordon Hartman Homes in San Antonio, Tex.
An off-road racing enthusiast, McMillin won both the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000, two of the world's more punishing desert races.
David K - 9-22-2005 at 10:20 PM
Sad day and a loss to the sport... Corky, his son, and grandson and other family members were a great team!
TMW - 9-23-2005 at 07:13 AM
Yes, it is a sad day. He will be missed.
FrankO - 9-23-2005 at 07:38 AM
Maybe the guilt from that sweetheart deal at the NTC and the subsequent abortion he built there got to him. Nah, probably not.
Bob H - 9-23-2005 at 09:13 AM
He raced until the end. What a great life he had. Corky, may you rest in peace.
Bob H
capt. mike - 9-23-2005 at 11:14 AM
what was that Frank 0 ? just curious as a contractor.
FrankO - 9-23-2005 at 12:41 PM
This was in reference to the devolpment of the Naval Training Center here in San Diego, "where the hoars are cheap and so is the city council". The
contract for this was awarded to McMillan Group by the council after an independent advisory board appointed by the council unanimously recommended a
developer who has much experience doing these projects including the Presidio in the bay area. What we have now that McMillan group got the bid was a
tremendous handout of public land to a developer who now wants the city to float bonds to pay for the park areas that he agreed to develop for this
gift of land.....also, he was allowed to violate the City's height limit and his vision that is now in place is a collection of character devoid
boxes. It will never blend into the character that makes Point Loma what it is. It is really a shame that he was able to purchase the City Council so
cheaply, whatever means he used. That's it in a nutshell.
So, the moral of this story is: if you have a big wallet you should pretty much get your way w/our city.
[Edited on 9-23-2005 by FrankO]
Anonymous - 9-30-2005 at 11:39 AM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20050929-9999-lz1s29los...
The McMillin Racing program that Corky began in 1976 and led to the time of his death last week was one of the biggest buggy operations in desert
racing.
With a twist.
It operated as a family-and-friend operation inside a professional organization. Workers in McMillin's various business ventures would serve as
volunteers on the race team, filling roles from cooks to pit crewmen.
"That's part of the fun of the racing," Corky said two years ago while discussing the logistics of competing with his sons Mark and Scott in the Baja
1000.
"Our racing is something that brings everyone in the company together. It's been like a rallying point, our annual picnics."
Corky teamed with Scott to win the overall four-wheel title in the 1985 SCORE Baja 1000. Corky also won two season class championships.
Led by Mark's five overall Baja 1000 wins, McMillin racing has scored more than 50 major overall and class wins over the course of 29 seasons in
SCORE.
Services for Corky were held yesterday morning on the flight deck of the carrier museum Midway, another indication of the man's impact.
TMW - 10-1-2005 at 10:07 AM
Just a note of correction. Dave Richardson and Steve Surapous (sp) won overall in a class 10 car in the 85 1000. Mark won class 1 and second overall,
Corky and Scott got first class 2 and third overall.