SHELBY — Shelby philanthropist and businessman Grant Milliron, 88, died Wednesday morning, leaving a strong legacy via the impact he made throughout Richland County.
Born in Mansfield on Feb. 28, 1935, Milliron spent his whole life in Richland County.
“An entirely unexpected pall of grief has fallen upon our fair City,” said Shelby Mayor Steve Schag. “As the hours elapse and the news of Grant Milliron’s passing spreads, it seems as though we all are experiencing a personal and painful bereavement.”
Milliron graduated from Madison High School in 1953, where he met his wife Mary. She died in March 2021 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Together, the couple celebrated 67 years of marriage and raised a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters.
As an 18-year-old, he founded the Milliron Recycling Company in February, 1954.
After 64 years of business, Milliron Recycling was sold to Australian-based BlueScope Recycling and Materials, LLC in August 2022.
In 2004, Milliron was selected the Mansfield/Richland County Chamber Chairman’s Award winner. He was also inducted into the North Central State College Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame/Hall of Excellence.
Milliron was determined to make his mark in the community. To that end, the City of Shelby announced in October 2016 that Milliron would be making a generous donation towards the construction of a new fire station.
In November 2018, the Shelby fire station was dedicated in the department’s new garage.
“There are many threads that hold a community together, and safety forces are a big part of that thread,” Milliron told Richland Source in 2017. “The Lord has blessed me so much in my life, it’s easy to give back.”
At an annual fundraiser in September 2018, The Shelby Foundation awarded Milliron the Visionary Award, which honors a local citizen for selfless giving and addressing a community need.
Milliron had a strong religious background. He told the Richland Source in 2018 that the fire station project was planted in his mind by God, and God surrounded him with the right people to complete it.
“He was certainly an icon in our community,” State Rep. Marilyn John (R-Richland County) said. “He contributed to the fabric of the City of Shelby, Richland County, the State of Ohio, and I would go so far as to say the country.”
“Virtually everywhere you turn in the Shelby Community, Mr. Milliron has left his unmistakable imprint.”
Shelby mayor steve schag
Milliron’s passing has left the Shelby community in mourning, the mayor said.
“His larger-than-life legacy is one of faith, family, and inexhaustible charity. The City of Shelby will always remember him with respect, fondness, and appreciation,” Schag said.
“We join the thousands of Richland County residents who are praying for God’s consolation and comfort to be poured out upon his dear family members and innumerable number of friends.”
John said she was not alone in her admiration of Milliron.
“The thing I admired most about him was how eloquently he spoke of his faith, love for his family, and specifically his wife, Mary,” John said.
Angela Phillips, CEO of Phillips Tube Group, said she was saddened by the news.
“It’s a loss to all of Richland County,” Phillips said. “He was a pillar of the Shelby community. Grant had that humble quality about him, and was the benchmark for the rest of us.
“He was an inspiration to me as a businessperson in this area.”
Funeral services have not yet been announced.
I met Grant years ago through a woman and my best friend that took care of his wife, Mary in her latter years. He was a kind man that cared very much for his community and beyond. It was an honor to know him and his selfless caring for others.
We’ve lost an incredible legend and a great mentor in Grant Milliron. Throughout the years, he taught me numerous leadership lessons, but the most significant one was his approach to possessions. Grant’s example taught me a valuable lesson: when life blesses you, don’t just raise your standard of living; instead, raise your standard of giving.
Increasing our standard of living doesn’t necessarily mean becoming snobbish or arrogant. It’s about cultivating qualities like humility, better character, kindness, and empathy towards others. It’s about holding our possessions with open hands, recognizing that they are on loan to us. After all, everything belongs to God, and we’ve been blessed with these possessions for only a short time.
Grant’s life was a shining example of the philosophy “the more you have, the more you give.” He truly was a hero to me, and his memory will forever live on in all of our hearts.
I remember Millirons salvage, I mean if you were from Shelby who didn’t drive by it for years and years a thousand times and see the growth and vision of Grant. Remember going there on Saturday mornings to drop off recycling with my dad and many times Grant came out to say hi to my dad. So sorry for the family and communities loss 🙏
Grant gave so much to the community-his memory will live on in the many hearts he touched!
Grant Milliron should be honored with a life size statue in front of the new fire department he donated.
I was Parole Officer new to the area in 1993, assigned to north Richland County which included Shelby. Grant Milliron was one of the few employees that gave my parolees a chance. I am a scraper and recycle at Millirons. I was blessed one day, when I pulled into Millirons I found one of the original parolees still employed at Millirons who succeeded in turning his life around and successfully raising a beautiful family. Thankyou Mr. Milliron for giving this man a chance soooo many years ago, you both humble me.