Thomas Edward Millard, 74, passed away from leukemia on February 6, 2022, in Vacaville, CA. He was a loving husband, a reliable friend, and the best father and grandfather imaginable; a man whose loss leaves a huge hole in the tight-knit family that he so proudly built.

Tom was born in Vallejo on January 15, 1948, to Edward and Alvina "Vina" A. Millard, and grew up there alongside his siblings Gerald and Carol. In 1966, he graduated from Hogan High and began working at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo.

Tom was then drafted by the U.S. Army, serving in Vietnam from May 1968 to February 1970. On March 25, 1969, maneuvering under intense hostile fire to reach his mortar emplacement, Tom expertly placed mortar fire on the enemy, successfully ceasing their attack. For this action, Tom was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism. Tom also received the Combat Infantry Badge, National Defense Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal. He remained a proud patriot for the rest of his life, wearing a Vietnam Veterans cap nearly everywhere he went.

After his tour in Vietnam, Tom returned to the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where he began his career as a shipfitter working on nuclear submarines. He started as a pneumatic tool operator (PTO) and, due to his leadership and work ethic, Tom achieved the level of general foreman in shop 11 before retiring in the year 2000.

Tom was dedicated to his career for one reason: to provide for his family. He was deeply involved in his sons' lives, from the fun stuff, like coaching baseball and camping in Santa Cruz, to the important stuff, like teaching them how to fix cars, work hard, and be respectful. (All it took was one look for them to fall in line!) If you'd ask him, he'd probably say his greatest accomplishment was raising three rowdy boys into three good men.

Tom's dedication extended to his seven grandchildren, to whom Tom was affectionately known as "papa." Papa's house was a popular destination thanks to relaxed rules, endless treats, and a motorhome parked on the side yard ripe for exploring. (Not to mention an impressive collection of fast-food toys and Disney VHS tapes.)

Throughout his life, Tom loved baseball, and he shared this love with his entire family. He had season tickets to the San Francisco Giants and often went to Scottsdale for spring training. Tom and his wife, Cynthia, also enjoyed traveling around the U.S, watching baseball and visiting nearly every MLB stadium.

The couple's other great love was Disney. They enjoyed trips to Disney's locations in California, Florida, and Hawaii, and took several Disney cruises. They planned elaborate Disney vacations for the whole family, too — trips that could have qualified as once-in-a-lifetime, but that Tom made happen several times over, simply to see his family's faces light up.

Whatever Tom did, he gave it his all. Whether it was attempting to tame Cynthia's overflowing garage sale finds, working 12-hour shifts to meet a deadline at the shipyard, playing games with his grandchildren, or making the most of a Disney trip, Tom gave it 100%. He showed his love by showing up, again and again, without complaint. He was one of the good ones — and those of us lucky enough to have known him will carry his lessons with us the rest of our lives.

Tom is survived by his wife, Cynthia Millard; his siblings, Gerald Millard (Sandra) and Carol Blood; his sons, Greg Millard (Andrea), Eric Millard (Elizabeth), and Patrick Gai (Vanessa); his grandchildren, Isabelle, Anna, Tyler, Ella, and Michael Millard, and Charlotte and Alice Gai; and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery on April 22 at 9:30 am, followed by a reception at Cattlemens in Dixon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) or Vietnam Veterans Of America (vva.org).