Max Milligan, Iii

Max Milligan, III, 73, of Valdosta, passed away on Monday, April 16, 2018 in Lake City, FL. Max was born in Orlando, FL on April 9, 1945 to Mary Elizabeth Smallwood Milligan and the late Max Milligan, Jr. Max grew up in Atlanta, Georgia in the Toco Hills area, attending Briarcliff High School. After graduating from Presbyterian College in 1967, where he played football and ran track, Max entered the military as a 1st lieutenant in the Army. He did a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne division as a Military Policeman. In 1969 he began a 38-year teaching and coaching career. He began teaching English and coaching football, basketball, cross country, and track at Darlington Prep School in Rome, Ga. He then moved on to Turner High School in Atlanta, Ga for seven years (1970-78) and Cherokee High School for one year (1978-79). In 1974 Max took a year off to get his master’s degree in Reading. His first head football coaching job began in 1979 at Brooks County High School in Quitman, Ga. He enjoyed 10 years there. Then he moved on to Johnson High School, Gainesville, Ga (1989-1992), Colquitt Co High School, Moultrie, Ga (1992-93), Southeast Whitfield High School, Dalton, Ga (1993-96), Lowndes High School Valdosta, Ga (1996-2001), and finally seven years at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga (2001-08). At each school one of his passions was involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He enjoyed hiking, camping, and fishing with his family and spending time with his grandchildren. He also enjoyed serving in various churches usually working with the youth and teaching Sunday School.
Max is survived by his wife Elizabeth “Betty” Milligan, his son Clayton (Lorrie) Milligan, and his daughter Anne Milligan, all of Valdosta; he is also survived by six grandchildren, his mother and two sisters Julie (John) Barnett, of Clayton, Ga, and Mimi (Dennis) Cole, of Reno, Nv. He was preceded in death by his father.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 2 p.m. in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral Home with Brother Clay Gill officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1-2 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Southeastern Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 1709-A Gornto Rd., PMB 118, Valdosta, GA 31601. Condolences to the family may be conveyed online at www.mclanecares.com. Carson McLane.