He had suffered a series of strokes in recent years and had been treated for a blood disorder. He was hospitalized Oct. 17.
A Costa Mesa resident since 1969, Millard is remembered fondly by former players and students, many of whom were initially rebuffed by his stern, uncompromising, old-school approach.
“For a high school player, he was a little bit intimidating,” said Jeff Gardner, who played for Millard at Estancia and, like Estancia product Rich Amaral, went on to play Major League Baseball. “He was a little bit crotchety. I think it was difficult, at times, for high school guys to understand him. But by my senior year, I really enjoyed him and after I was done [at Estancia], I absolutely loved the guy. And I know the guys that I played with, and over the years, have come to realize what a great guy he was. He was a much softer person than he let on.
“He was such a super nice person, who was very loving and caring, though he didn’t come across that way.”
Amaral, who finished fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting at age 31 with the 1993 Seattle Mariners, credited Millard with much of his success in the game.
“He had his ways,” Amaral said. “We ran our 220-yard sprints in the morning [before school], we hustled everywhere and we stood at attention when he called our name. You couldn’t go through the motions and play for him, which was a great thing to learn, for me.”
Joe Ronquillo, who played for and coached with Millard at Estancia, said he became much more than a coach, mentor and friend.
“My dad died when I was 18 and Coach basically became the dad that I needed,” Ronquillo said. “He was there for me when all my kids were born; when I got married; when I got divorced; everything. There was more to him than most people think. He loved baseball, music, his family and his friends.”
