Bill Mills, 67, of Nashville, died Sunday, March 5, 2017, at Richland-Bean Blossom Healthcare Center.

Not many who knew Bill Mills here know that he attended Oberlin College. He graduated from IU with undergraduate and graduate degrees in linguistics. His research area was the ancient language Nahuatl, spoken by the Aztec Indians. Bill lived with them in remote areas of mountainous Mexico.

Summers when he was in West Lafayette, he worked as a night janitor in a building with a large auditorium and a grand piano. He played long passages of classical music from memory on his breaks.

He enjoyed teaching Head Start and at Harmony School. On a field trip while the students were learning about Mark Twain, many got their first taste of non-organic fast food. Part of the day’s math lesson was dividing the budget equally and choosing what you really wanted to spend your portion on.

Bill’s last years were made difficult by a degenerative neurological condition. His brother, Rob; sister-in-law, Beth; and friend, Cathy, visited daily at the nursing home.

Bill was the third of four brothers, John the potter, Russ, Bill and Rob.

Bill was a free spirit who enjoyed life. A celebration will take place at a later date.