James Milligan

James Milligan was born June 22, 1945, in St. Matthews, South Carolina to the late George and Mary Milligan, the fifth born of 13 children. He departed this life peacefully on Saturday, September 9, 2023. Sonny, as he was affectionately called by family, spent his teenage years working the local farm and was skilled at driving the heavy equipment. Sparked by the adventurous side of his elder sister Joan, Sonny joined her in the big city of New York in his late teens. While in NY, Sonny worked various jobs to make ends meet but eventually decided to move to Washington, DC for a better job opportunity. As fate would have it, DC not only enhanced his career, but his life overall. While working for Standard Drugstore, Sonny met the love of his life, Sharon Brawner. They quickly fell in love & married in 1969. Spending the early years of marriage living in Southeast DC before purchasing and moving to a house in Maryland. From this union his cherished son Derrick was born. Now as a husband & father, Sonny’s ambition for better was immensely elevated. He changed career paths and took a promising position with BZ Vending. Sonny traveled throughout DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania and he absolutely loved being on the road. He took pride in the various relationships he built with store managers and workers. Sonny’s hard work & dedication paid off when he was promoted to the lead salesman and technician for his beloved brand of liquid refreshment, Slush Puppie. Motivated by the unfortunate closing of BZ Vending, Sonny partnered with a friend to continue providing Slush Puppie products to the Mid-Atlantic region. Supplying Slush Puppie products and repairing vending machines were just a few of Sonny’s skills. There was nothing he didn’t think he could fix. Sonny also took on jobs in plumbing, electrical work & repairing air conditioning units. He was a jack of all trades. From helping his son rebuild cars, to installing the plumbing for a new bathroom, to installing a ceiling fan... there was absolutely nothing Sonny would not take on if help was needed. One of his most notable jobs was providing and installing the beverage supply lines in the Baltimore Ravens stadium for multiple vendors when the stadium was being built in 1998. Sonny is preceded in death by his wife, Sharon Milligan, parents: George Sr. and Mary Milligan, brothers: George, Sammy and Jimmy Milligan, sister Joan Eliance, and stepsons: Thomas Brawner and Raymond Euell. He leaves to cherish his memory; his sons: Derrick Milligan and Mashad Moses, step-daughter Elisa Euell; brothers: Willie, Tony, Voarley, and his beloved sisters: Grace Scott, Annie Mae Bonaparte (Samuel), Loberta Gilliam (Andrew), Patricia Wagner (Ronald), Jennifer Durandisse, and Shirley Milligan; nephews: Steve Milligan, Octavious Milligan, Marques Gilliam (Sasha); nieces, Andrea Bonaparte, Nikki Mitchell, Natarsha Bonaparte, Temieka Ingram (Javon); and grandchildren: Natasha Euell, Kristena Euell, Ijanay Berry, and Aziah Pless, great-granddaughter Xiare Euell. Sonny is also survived by a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.