August 23, 1942 - March 27, 2025
Visitation
Friday, April 4th from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Central College Church in Ballard Hall
Service
Friday, April 4th at 3:00 p.m. at Central College Ellsworth Chapel
Fred James Milligan Jr. Obituary
A bright, shining light has returned to the source of all light.
Frederick James Milligan Jr., or “Fritz,” departed this world on March 27, 2025, and now knows the secret of what’s to come hereafter.
He was born to loving parents, Frederick James Milligan Sr. and Virginia Stone Milligan, on August 23, 1942, in Columbus. He and his late brother, David T. Milligan (Maxine), were best friends and law partners at the Milligan Law Office, the family firm founded by Fred Sr.
Fritz prided himself on being a country lawyer who offered a steady hand to those swept up in the troubled waters of life, providing safe harbor through the power of his listening and the wisdom of his counsel.
His loving wife of 58 years, Carol Moreland Milligan, says he was the most nearly perfect person she has ever known. He doted upon his children—Jennifer (Pascal Fouquet), Corey (Jessica), and Michael (Lisa Wallis)—and grandchildren: Ruby, Buck, and Lucas. His grandkids affectionately called him “HeyDog.” His family was the most important part of his life. He saw himself as the gardener and his family as the wildflowers he tended and nurtured toward the light.
He was a poet at heart. His children often sought his understanding and sage advice, knowing it would come without judgment. A friend recently shared that if everyone in the world were like Fritz, it would be a better place—recalling the way Fritz listened to others with wholehearted attention and kindness.
He had a lifelong interest in history and served as legal counsel to the Ohio Historical Society for 42 years. He also served on the boards of the Westerville Library, the Stratford Ecological Center, CATCO, the Westerville Chamber of Commerce, and Central College Presbyterian Church.
That he was an avid reader is evinced by the stacks of books piled from floor to ceiling in his room.
Of course, he was a lifelong Buckeye fan, having earned both his bachelor’s and law degrees from The Ohio State University—where his parents met and fell in love.
In his later years, whenever he was asked, “How are you?” he would respond, “Every day is precious”—a mantra he came to embody for all who knew and loved him.
Calling hours will be held in Ballard Hall at Central College from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Friday, followed by a funeral service at 3:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Fritz Milligan’s name to any of the following organizations that meant so much to him:
- Westerville Public Library – westervillelibrary.org
- Ohio History Connection – ohiohistory.org
Stratford Ecological Center – stratfordecologicalcenter.org
Condolences
Vinny Cipriani Herwig - Apr 3, 2025
May your memories be a window through a sad time.
Lisa Miller - Apr 3, 2025
Fritz will be missed by all at Delaney's Diner. He has been a regular customer for years and everyone enjoyed seeing his smile on a daily basis.
Dawn Farrell - Mar 31, 2025
Holding the family in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time but believe God has him safe in his loving arms. He was the head of a family of faith and strength do hold tight to each other.
Dawn Farrell - Mar 31, 2025
May Fritz rest in peac
Michael Milligan - Mar 31, 2025
“Every day is precious.” That has been my Dad’s daily mantra and constant lesson to those lucky enough to be in his presence over the last several years. For him, it wasn't an abstraction he aspired to, but a reality that filled each moment of his life. He was a wise and enlightened soul who knew through experience and contemplation that we are here for a little while and that one day we must let go and release ourselves into the Divine Presence. Fritz Milligan was one of those rare humans who embodied his enlightenment in the little acts of everyday life. He was a Sage of Westerville, the Wise Man of Millwood, the Buckeye Buddha of Dempsey Road. He passed away unexpectedly on Thursday. He had a heart attack while driving home from his weekly lunch with a dear friend from elementary school where he had one last round of the convivial camaraderie and discourse for which he was known and so enjoyed. Our hearts are as full of sorrow, as they are filled with gratitude for his wisdom, love, joyful spirit and the example of a life well lived. My Dad’s later years were spent in the same house he grew up in. He was a man who knew the wide world and breadth of our humanity, yet was deeply rooted in the local community he loved and nurtured. The clarity of his character and purpose was surpassed only by his kindness. His vocation was that of a country lawyer who offered a steady hand to those caught in the troubled waters of life, navigating them safely to shore with the potency of his listening and wisdom of his counsel. I have lost not just a Father, but a kindred spirit and best of friends. To be so fully known, accepted and loved for who you are is a rare and priceless gift. All that needed to be said between father and son was uttered years ago, so all that remains between us is love and the indelible mark of his personality and character. Sitting here writing this post, I pause to look through the window and witness the wonder of the woods we both played in when we were kids. I hear his encouragement in the gentle touch of the breeze and the soft voice of the murmuring creek. I feel the depth and strength of his character in the tall oak trees. I smell his joy and love in the wild fragrant flowers carpeting the hillside with the purple promise of Spring. These woods have grown up along with us, giving gentle shade to the bloom of our family. My Dad shared a secret with me a few years ago, that he believed (and deeply felt) that our lives are lived in two dimensions in this one life. The world of our daily existence, and the world of our dreams. He told me that in his waking life, he was aware that the dreaming life was still going on, and that his Mother and Father were with him there, and that their communion with him was vivid and unbroken. He also shared that in his dreaming life, he appeared as a boy in a coonskin cap, who had a small fort built of sticks in the woods. At night before bed, he would send his dreaming Spirit out into the woods to carry on its adventures. That is, I believe where he remains waiting for us when we need to visit. He was (and is!) our gardener, protecting the plot from weed and blight, tending each trembling plant with water until every leaf can reach the light. Such a soul can never be extinguished, he lives forever in the water, the wood, the wind and the bright Sun which casts its dancing shadows on the Earth until each one, done with its play, resolves back into the Light. We love you, Dad- thank you for everything- we will do our best to honor you and remember: “Every day is precious.”