Bob Mills, who built a single Oklahoma City furniture shop into a 12-location chain spanning three states, died Monday, Nov. 9, at the age of 79.

His family announced the death in a Facebook post, according to KOCO. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Funeral and memorial arrangements had not been determined as of Monday morning, according to KOCO.

"For our family, this is an immeasurable loss," the family wrote. "But we also know that his passing will be felt by the countless people whose lives he touched throughout the years."

Mills was born in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947, according to a Rotary Club of Oklahoma City profile. His family moved to Oklahoma City 13 years later. He attended middle school in the metro before becoming a Putnam City High School Pirate, graduating in 1965.

He then moved to Weatherford to study business and music at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU). He earned bachelor's degrees in both fields in 1969, according to the Rotary profile.

Before opening his store, Mills worked as an insurance typist issuing late-payment notices, according to a company press release carried by KCBD. In 1971, the 23-year-old secured a $25,000 loan from his mother and partnered with a friend to open a furniture store in a former IGA grocery building at 2625 S.W. 29th in Oklahoma City.

The early years were lean. By 1975, staff had shrunk to just two employees, the press release stated. Mills stuck with it.

The company hit a turning point in the late 1980s, moving into a 110,000-square-foot facility at 3600 W. Reno in Oklahoma City. That building still serves as the flagship showroom and corporate headquarters, according to the press release.

Bob Mills Furniture celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2026. The company operates 12 locations across Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita and several Texas cities, employs more than 400 people and ranks No. 49 on Furniture Today’s Top 100 U.S. furniture retailers list, according to the press release.

Mills is survived by his wife, Margaret, and their three children: Bryan, Tuesday and Chris. All three work in the family business.

The family said the company will keep operating. Memorial details will be shared once finalized, the family said.