The story we ran about Dr. Gene Milligan, a long-time San Marcos dentist, may not be my absolute favorite of the year, but I really want to share the story behind how it came to fruition before those memories drift off into the ether.
I’ve actually known Dr. Milligan for much of my life, though I don’t know that he would realize it. I grew up in Wimberley, and my uncle was a musician in the band the Volunteer Fire Ants. As it happens in small towns, musicians tend to run in the same circles, and even though Dr. Milligan is known for his day job, he moonlights as a musician. Currently, he plays in the Irish/Celtic band O’Malarkey. I was likely one of the kids he remembers running around the camp fire on jam nights at Cawley’s at the Junction.
Early this year, we had a bit of a unique happen stance. Ronald Gene Milligan, 80, of San Marcos, passed away on December 27, 2022. His obituary ran, as many do, without a photo. The version published in the paper was scant on details, and to the unknowing reader, it would be perfectly normal for a person to assume that this individual was, in fact, the Gene Milligan that has worked as a dentist in San Marcos for nearly 50 years. The problem was, it wasn’t. With all due respect to Ronald Gene Milligan and his family, the misunderstanding became an obvious issue. We at the Daily Record got a call from Dr. Milligan’s office that people were sending condolences, but he was alive and well. We obviously wanted to clarify this misunderstanding between two people with remarkably similar names.
So, we elected to do a full-length feature story on San Marcos’ longest-tenured dental practitioner (at least I think he is.) Dr. Milligan has been a part of our community for so long. He and his wife are such interesting people that it made for a great story and one that was long over due. I love when we have the opportunity to tell the stories of the people who make up our community, this one just came with a unique twist.
Now that you know the rest of the story, I hope you enjoy reading the feature written by our esteemed Features Editor Celeste Cook on San Marcos’ own Irishband- playing, tooth-decay- fighting Dr. Gene Milligan.
