Richard Lee Mims

Richard Lee Mims of Bushnell, Florida, passed away Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at The Villages Hospice House in The Villages, Florida. He was 73. He was born December 6, 1948, in Bradenton, Florida, to Commodore Dewey Mims, a Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Co. section foreman, and Vera Vonceil Massey Mims, a homemaker. The youngest of seven children, Richard lived in Parrish, Florida, until his family relocated to Bushnell in 1953. He was a Baptist by faith. Richard graduated from South Sumter High School in 1967 before serving in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1969. He married Billie Jean Mims on July 24, 1970. Richard was a CSX Corporation railroad engineer in the 1970s and 1980s and later became the maintenance director for the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners. A devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather, Richard will be remembered for his kind spirit, generosity, and gentle nature. He was an outdoorsman throughout his life and liked to fish on the Withlacoochee River. He enjoyed the solitude of rural Bushnell and could often be seen rocking on his front porch, watching for deer, turkeys, and other wildlife that wandered by. He was known for his green thumb and frequently gifted his family with homegrown vegetables and eggs from his chickens. He enjoyed spending time with his family and listening to Raider football games on Friday nights. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife, Billie Jean Mims, and his sister, Joyce Grace. Richard is survived by his sons, Christopher (Terri) Mims, of Bushnell, and Kevin (Amanda) Mims, of Newberry, Florida; his brother, Charles (Linda) Mims, of Bushnell; his sisters, Helen Hunt, Maolis Adkins, and Faye Dixon, all of Bushnell, and Orel (Jerry) Hall, of Tucker, Georgia; his brother-in-law, W.R. Jeff Davis of Bushnell; his grandchildren, Brittany (Joshua) Brown, of Bushnell, and Patrick Forbes, of Bushnell; his great-grandchildren, Waylon Brown and Ivy Brown; and several nieces and nephews. A graveside memorial service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Bushnell on Monday, October 10, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Cornerstone Hospice Foundation, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL 32778.

Richard Lee Mims

December 6, 1948 - October 5, 2022