Dexter G. Millican

November 29, 1946 ~ December 03, 2023

"A winding and rocky path you walked. A path of great highs and great lows. The later part of your path became straighter and smoother, with hopes of leading you to peace."

– Kim Johnson & Natalie Scott

Born November 29, 1946, to Joel and Cora Millican, in Galveston, Texas, an Island on the Gulf Coast. Dexter had an older half-brother, William "Billy" (Nita), an older sister, Altha (George), and a younger sister, Nelda (Don). Dexter was baptized at Shiloh AME Church and educated in Galveston before the family moved to Denver, Colorado. in 1959. Once the family moved to Denver, they became members of the Shorter AME church.

Dexter attended and graduated from Denver's East High School, where he was a scholar, played basketball and ran track. He was a standout athlete, which earned him a scholarship to Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. He majored in Architectural Drafting and was certified in CAD (computer-aided design). He received his vocational teaching certificate which allowed him to teach drafting, carpentry, and building projects. Dexter also played semi-professional basketball locally for a short time.

Dexter worked for Denver Public Schools for roughly 22 years. He was an educator and coached basketball, football, track, and volleyball. During his tenure at Denver Public Schools, he taught and coached at Manual, South, Thomas Jefferson, West, and North High Schools. He owned a few small businesses and worked temporary jobs during the summer while schools were dismissed.

In Dexter's personal life, he was outgoing, charming, enthusiastic and a popular socialite. He met and married his first wife Linda Martin. His second marriage was to Virginia Jernigan with whom he shared four daughters, Leslie, Joy, Beverly "Kandie" and Natalie. While he did not remarry again, he later had another daughter, Jaidyn*.

Dexter's daughters shared memories of dancing at house parties with him and his friends. They enjoyed taking family bike rides to Bible Park and around the neighborhood, swimming at a friend's pool, taking fishing trips, going on scenic drives, and meeting a few celebrities like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There was a Christmas when the tree Dexter bought was too tall to fit in the family room. "We laughed at how he struggled cutting and wrestling with that tree just to get it to stand without falling over." They remembered another Christmas when he decorated the tree with copper-colored ornaments. The tree looked so plain, his daughters made foil ornaments and foil chain garland to dress it up. When Dexter coached the high school games, his daughters would sometimes cheer alongside the cheerleaders, just for fun. He took his daughters to outings, like going to Lakeside amusement park, where he did not mind if the girls had cotton candy for breakfast. No matter what, Dexter never forgot his daughter's birthdays.

Dexter is remembered for the hot and spicy foods he cooked. He made delicious Bar-B-Que ribs and brisket, which everyone looked forward to. Using his talents and skills, he created many beautiful woodworks and pieces of furniture crafted by hand. Some of the things he enjoyed were music, parties, and going out to eat with his nephew, siblings, daughters, and friends. Dexter was a well-known athlete, teacher and coach who touched the lives of so many.

On December 3, 2023, Dexter G. Millican passed from this earthly realm. His life will reverberate in the lives of the ones he loved and those who loved him. He is survived by his daughters Leslie, Joy (Josh), Beverly "Kandie", Natalie (Josh), and Jaidyn*. His sister Nelda (Don). His grandchildren Deandria, Jace, Dean, Jaidyn*, Nathaniel, Maddox, Elizabeth, one great grandson Kratos, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.