Rutledge Alexander “Putty” Mills
1923-2025
Rutledge Alexander “Putty” Mills, the absolute best Husband, Dad, Brother, Uncle, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and great friend to many, passed away peacefully in his sleep the morning of September 10th , 2025.
Putty, as he was, and always will be known as, moved to Santa Barbara with his family when he was 5 years old. He grew up the oldest of four boys that I’m sure, kept his poor Northern Ireland immigrant parents on their toes. He would regale us with many stories about growing up in Santa Barbara, racing motorcycles up & down State Street, trying to outrun the cops, who all knew him & his friends. He and his brothers were early members of the Santa Barbara Motorcycle Club and he quickly became known for his skills on two wheels.
At eighteen, he joined the Army and served in Europe during World War II. He fought with General Patton’s Third Army, landed after the Normandy invasion and endured the Battle of the Bulge. He was in Bavaria at the close if the war in Europe before being sent to the Pacific, where he was stationed in the Philippines.
After the war, he married Mary Galera with whom he had two daughters, Andrea and Denice. He later went on to marry Carol Fraser Davison, who had two daughters, Terri and Joanne. They moved to Flagstaff, AZ around that time, where Putty went to work for the U.S Geological Survey. He joined the Center of Astrogeology and from there, he became part of the Apollo space program, designing & building lunar rover prototypes for astronaut training on the meteor craters, which simulated the moon surface, around the Northern AZ area. He earned national recognition for his work, including the astronauts own “Silver Snoopy” award for his dedication and ingenuity.
He never gave up on motorcycles; they were a constant in his life. In his late forties, he won the Arizona State Motocross Championship. After moving to Denver, he transitioned to Speedway racing, racing against riders’ decades younger. He was still able to ride a bike around a track well into his nineties, when he went up North with my sister Denice, to visit his friends, Malcom & Cheri, who had their own track & regularly hosted riders to get together, reminisce and “tear it up!”
I could go on & on, telling you about all his accomplishments, his willing to help out anyone that asked, his kindness, knowledge, compassion, but it would end up being a novel. He lived a century with courage and curiosity. To his family and friends, he will always be remembered. Not just for the history he lived through, but for the kindness and generosity he displayed throughout his lifetime.
A Celebration of Life will be held at his residence (shop) on June 27th, 2026, 1662 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, starting at l :00 PM. Light refreshments will be available. Parking limited, carpooling is encouraged.
