KUCR mourns the loss of Billie Dobler Mills, one of the very best DJs in the station’s 53 year history. She passed last Wednesday night August 21/22, peacefully, in her sleep, after bravely and openly battling brain cancer. One of our all-time key contributors, a student and graduate of UCR, Billie was immensely popular on the air in the Inland Empire during the 1980s. As a DJ, she was very influential, very connected and fully immersed in the musical zeitgeist of the era. She was warm, sharp, with a biting wit and a memorable smile. Her radio programs swirled with energy and her presentation as a DJ was very engaging.  Her bigger-than-life personality combined with her immense knowledge of absolutely everything happening the world of music to make every show memorable. In the decades following her show, it is still talked about.  She had a long run at KUCR and then devoted herself to a career in law enforcement and to her family. She informed me of her illness in 2018. Early in 2019, she told me that her condition had become more serious.  I was aware of the struggle she was facing and understood it, having had cancer myself. She did everything she could to live.  She took great joy in life. Billie was an excellent person. I am grateful for her contributions to KUCR and to our regional culture. And for the gift of knowing her. On behalf of KUCR and the University of California Riverside, I wish to express our deepest appreciation and condolences to her many friends and family. We at KUCR loved her too. — Louis Van den Berg KUCR Director/General Manager August 23, 2019 2:58am.