Steve Americus Milum

Steve Americus Milum was born October 8, 1952 at the old Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio to Carlisle Glenn Milum and Edna (Stischer) Milum. He passed away at his home in George West on May 30, 2023 at the age of 70.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Edna Milum; older siblings, Carl Milum and Mary Ruth Milum Anthony; and one son, Michael Milum.

He is survived by his partner, Robin Dawson McKinney; his sister, Joan Milum Vilagi (Nick); his best friend and “brother by another mother” Robert Polston (Gina); and two daughters, Shari Smith and family and Cyndi Green and family, both of Florida. He has many dear friends and relatives throughout Texas.

Steve was raised in San Antonio where his father was an auto mechanic and his mother owned a beauty shop and rental properties. He remembered walking to both sets of grandparents’ homes and could tell you the address of every home. He attended Bellaire and Huff Elementary and Harlandale Junior High.

His parents bought the Tides Motel in Fulton in September 1965. He told tales of shooting turtles and snakes on Tule Lake and having cabbage head jelly fish fights on the water in the old Fulton Harbor with Chuck Kleypas and Chip McFaddin. He and Robert became friends at the same time and that friendship endured until the day he died with visits back and forth and daily phone calls.

Steve went to work at Goose Island State Park in 1968. He was supervised by Graden McVay and soon became part of the Goose Island family. He and Robin first met in July of 1969 when her parents stayed for two months at the park.

Steve graduated from Rockport Fulton High School in May 1970 as salutatorian. He attended Texas A&I and Stephen F. Austin before entering the U.S. Air Force in 1971 and worked as a Medical Lab Technician at Sheppard AFB, Wilford Hall Medical Center Blood Bank and USAF, PCIS, Turkey, Incirlik CDI, TUSLOG Detachment 47, USAF Regional Hospital until 1976. At that time, he discharged from the USAF and started college under the GI Bill, plus worked full time as a lab tech. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from UT Arlington and attended Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, graduating in 1983. He rejoined the USAF and went on to do his Anatomic & Clinical Pathology Residency back at Wilford Hall and Lackland AFB, becoming the Medical Director, Immunology Branch, Clinical Laboratory at WHMC until 1987 when he completed his Pathology residency. He was instrumental in the first HIV studies in the USAF.

He moved to Eglin AFB, Florida in 1990 and went back into USAF Reserves. He was Medical Director of the Cytopath Labs in several small Florida towns while in Reserves. He retired from the USAF in 1999.

He was very proud of his Medical Lab Technician training and would just say he was a “Lab Tech” when asked what he did before he retired. He never introduced himself as Dr. Milum or retired USAF Lt. Colonel Milum.

He moved back to Texas in 2012 and met Robin again in 2016. He moved to George West permanently in 2022. He was a great supporter of anything that Robin was involved in within the community. He helped place wreaths on veterans' graves at the George West Cemetery. He helped with Dobie Dichos. He was always taking pictures at any Live Oak Historical Commission event. He taped the plays at the Dobie West Theatre. He helped with the GW Chamber of Commerce 4^th of July Celebration, thus the flags on his hat in the picture above.

Steve had a deep and abiding love of family history and found many connections to locals in Live Oak and McMullen Counties and was always surprised to meet another Dilworth or Kuykendall distant cousin here. He was extremely intelligent, funny, could fix anything and loved working out in his yard. He often told his old friends that he had found peace and comfort in George West.

Steve did not want a funeral service. He just wanted to be cremated and his ashes tossed over a “certain bridge” in downtown San Antonio. And that is what will be done later! A small get together of his Rockport friends may be planned for the fall.