Obituary: David Wellington Milton

David Wellington Milton, 96, passed away on Friday, January 28, 2022, at home surrounded by his loving family. Born on October 27, 1925, to Shirley Kirksey and Annabelle (Smith) Milton in Lokosee, FL, he was proud to be a native Floridian. He grew up in Fairvilla, a rural neighborhood in Orlando. After graduating in 1944 from Orlando High School, where he was an outstanding member of the track team, he served honorably in the United States Army.  He married an English girl, Ellen May Parker, on November 5, 1949, and they went on to have six children. They lived in Fairvilla before purchasing property and building a home in Ocoee, FL, in 1989.

Dave was a builder in Orlando, building many houses from the ground up and doing extensive remodeling work on existing homes. In addition to being an excellent builder and craftsman, he more often than not became a beloved part of the families for whom he worked.

After retiring, he built two seafaring boats which he moored and enjoyed taking out from Cape Canaveral. He learned to Rollerblade at the age of 80, amazing fellow frequenters of the West Orange Trail. He grew beautiful roses, had large vegetable gardens and grew citrus, often sharing his harvest with friends and neighbors. He lovingly built many things for himself and his family, from toys to fine furniture. He was, indeed, a man of many talents and enjoyed sharing those talents with others. Material things didn’t mean a great deal to him; he was generous with what worldly goods he possessed.

A compassionate man, Dave tenderly cared for his wife, Ellen, through a near fatal bout of tetanus, and then for seven years prior to her death singlehandedly cared for her as she suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

After Ellen’s passing in 2015, Dave enjoyed walking to the Ocoee Café to have lunch, where the owners, Teresa and Eric Sopp, and their daughters, Chelsea and Danielle, treated him as one of the family. He also enjoyed visits to his bank, BB&T, where he was a favorite customer, and getting his hair cut by Dave the barber. He loved talking to people and could stand in line next to someone and know their life history before reaching the cashier. But, most of all, he will be remembered as a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, and an honest and compassionate man. To his children, he was not only a Dad but the best of men.

Dave was preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Ellen; his beloved son, Charles; and six brothers and sisters.

He is survived and will be sadly missed by his five children, Jennifer (Glenn) Hawkins, Ocoee, Laurin (Mindy) Milton, Durham N.C., Elizabeth (Robert) Solomon, Franklin, N.C., George (Joye) Milton, Ocoee, and Nancy (Scott Beddingfield) Draughon, Chapel Hill, N.C.; 17 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 12, at the Ocoee Christian Church, 15 S. Bluford Avenue, Ocoee.