In Memory of Jetson Mills:Longtime Baseball Coach and Leader in the Black Community has passed away and we need to honor this man that made a difference

We remember Jetson Mills and offer these notes on our longtime Greensboro Youth Baseball coach, to the man, Mr. Mills, that made a difference…..

Were just informed today that a longtime youth baseball coach here in Greensboro has died.

Chuck Hayes(longtime Greensboro youth and high school coach) shares these memories of Mr. Mills with us here today/tonight….

Jetson Mills , that coached the Eastern Bronco League teams has died and was buried this past Friday. Mr. Mills , as he was known, (not coach, but Mr.Mills) was a father figure for many a kid in Black Greensboro for over 40 years.

He coached the old F. D. Lewis team back in the 60’s , and coached Cone Mills sponsered teams, where he won his first championship at Barber Park, where the pressbox was named for him.

A truly loving and caring man for the youth and the black community, he gave his all to the many kids that he coached over all those years.

The year he retired from coaching, he won his first and only championship….News 2 even came down and filmed that momentous moment.

He beat the team that I(Chuck Hayes) was coaching at the time, Mutual Savings.

Here was a man that I played against as a kid, and he beat us for his first ever championship….I told him that I wouldn’t trade that loss for anything that I had accomplished in my career, because, after all those years he rightfully more than deserved it.

A great many of Mr. Mills’s have become professionals in all walks of life, and not only in the sports world… Academics was a must, and the kids respected him so that he changed a lot of them on their look on life and becoming a man, a productive citizen.

Well, Mr. Mills you did what you were sent here to do, you can’t save all of the kids that you come in contact with, but you can leave them with a lasting image of what it is right and what is wrong .

There want be any more Jetson Mill’s around, it wasn’t about winning so much to him, it was about a kid having fun and a man making sure they did.

Any kid that didn’t have, had because Mr.Mills made it possible.

*****God Bless the memory of Mr. Mills and we thank the good Lord above, for sending Jetson Mills to our Greensboro Community….We are truly blessed for having him among us, helping kids at each and every turn he might make….And we thank Chuck Hayes for the fine/outstanding job he did sharing the meomries of Mr. Jetson Mills with us here at GreensboroSports.com.*****
[Again, info coming in from Chuck Hayes and we thank Coach Hayes, currently on the football coaching staff at Grimsley, for all he did, in putting this tribute together….Long live the memory of Coach/Mr. Mills and we appreciate the work that good men like Coach Hayes, are doing in our community today]….

from the News and Record(Greensboro) obituaries Thursday March 20:
JETSON V. MILLS GREENSBORO Mr. Jetson V. Mills, son of the late Mrs. Florence Lee Mills Dotson and the late Mr. Jetson V. Mills, Sr., was born in Indianola, MS on June 12, 1925. He departed this life Sunday, March 16, 2014, at his home. Mrs. Bertha Lee Carter, a sister, preceded him to the after life. Homegoing Celebration is Friday, March 21, 2014 in the Goldie Hargett Memorial Chapel, 905 East Market Street, Greensboro. Visitation begins at 11:30 a.m. with the service at 12 p.m. Left to cherish his memory: daughter, Glenda Campbell; sons, Rick (Anna) Mills and Rivers (Sheryl) Mills; brother, Van Kiethley Mills (Mary, deceased), Detroit, MI; sister, Florence Houser, Detroit, MO; eight grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Hargett Funeral Service is assisting the family.

4 thoughts on “In Memory of Jetson Mills:Longtime Baseball Coach and Leader in the Black Community has passed away and we need to honor this man that made a difference

  1. I played for Mr. Mills at F D Lewis he was my first coach . I can remember being a little kid and how excited I got when I saw him, you knew it was baseball season, and he would always put a smile on your face.
    If you played for him he never forgot your name even in my 50’s he still would speak, and call your name when he saw you. I am very proud to say this man had a lot to do with the way I love the kids of today we all needed someone in our lives like Mr. Mills he always made you feel important. Andy this was truly one of the best Black Mentors in our community. He will be missed.
    Thanks for this article.

  2. Just want to thank Chuck Hayes and Ray Crawford for the great things they said about a ” Great Man “. Chuck,Ray,myself, and many others that was touched by this man have coached and worked with kids for many, many years. 20 years myself and some others longer than me. Mr. Mills called me Mr. Second Baseman. That would always put a light in my eyes and a smile on my face. And i played my heart out for that man. All of my brothers, cousins, and friend played for Cone Mills. Even when we moved near morningside Holmes we sill walked all the way down to the canyon(English St Park) to play for Mr. Mills. Some of us didn’t have a father or in my case he could not be found for years sometimes, but being around Mr. Mills made me fill like I had one every spring and summer. He let me be the bat boy when I was 6,7, and 8 because I was too young to play for the 12 year old team just to give me something positive to do. I will never forget that. I loved that man. I want to have a cookout in his honor in the canyon April 12th. I need help from his X ball players and coaches. 336 987 9764 (RIP)

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